Mineral, TX — May 14, 2025, Jerry Clark was injured following a single-car accident at approximately 9:30 a.m. along Farm to Market 673.

According to authorities, 66-year-old Jerry Clark was traveling in a southeast bound Ford F-150 pickup truck on F.M. 673 in the vicinity southeast of Mineral, Texas, when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the pickup truck failed to safely maintain its lane of travel. It was consequently involved in a single-vehicle collision in which it struck a culvert and overturned. Clark reportedly suffered serious injuries over the course of the accident. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

After a crash like this, the assumption is often that the driver simply veered off the road. But when a pickup truck ends up striking a culvert and overturning, especially in daylight hours, there’s likely more at play than just inattention. To really understand how and why a crash like this happened, there are three critical questions I always think need to be asked.

First, did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? A rural road like Farm to Market 673 can present subtle hazards that don’t show up in a simple report. Was the shoulder narrow or eroded? Was the road uneven or recently repaired? These small details can drastically affect a vehicle’s ability to stay safely within its lane—especially if the lane markings are faded or inconsistent. Investigators should also look for physical evidence like tire tracks, impact marks, or debris that might point to a last-second attempt to correct course. If those details aren't gathered, the true cause might never come to light.

Next, has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? A Ford F-150 is a robust vehicle, but no truck is immune to mechanical issues. A sudden steering malfunction, brake failure, or tire blowout could easily cause a vehicle to drift off the road. With today’s newer models, electronic systems like lane assist or stability control could also malfunction and lead to unexpected outcomes. Without a full mechanical and electronic inspection of the vehicle, there's no way to know for sure whether it was working as it should have been at the time of the crash.

Finally, has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Most late-model vehicles—including the F-150—are equipped with event data recorders that log speed, steering input, brake usage, and throttle position in the seconds before impact. That information can help confirm whether the driver was trying to avoid something, reacting to a system failure, or possibly never had the chance to correct the vehicle’s path. If any surveillance footage exists nearby—like from a ranch gate or roadside business—that could also help clarify how the crash unfolded.

Crashes like this are often more than they appear at first glance. When someone is seriously hurt, it's not enough to rely on assumptions. We need to ask careful, informed questions that uncover the full picture—because only then can we truly understand what happened and how to keep it from happening again.

Takeaways:

• Road conditions, shoulder design, and lane visibility must be examined in rural single-vehicle crashes.
• Mechanical or electronic system failures in key components like tires, steering, and brakes should be fully investigated.
• Crash data and potential nearby video sources may offer essential insights into the vehicle’s actions before impact.