Gregg County, TX — November 10, 2025, Jerry Putnam was injured as the result of a truck accident at around 1:28 p.m. along Highway 149.

Investigators said that the incident took place at the intersection of Estes Parkway and FM 349.

According to officials, 73-year-old Jerry Putnam was in a Chevy Traverse going southeast along the highway. An oncoming Chevy truck pulling a trailer allegedly failed to yield, and the vehicles collided as a result.

Due to the accident, Jerry Putnam was seriously injured. No other injuries were confirmed. Authorities recommended charges for the truck driver.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

With authorities recommending charges here, people might think this is all open-and-shut. However, there's a possibility of this being a work truck. That raises questions about what role the truck driver's employer played in the crash.

I've handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases. A lot of the time, the reason for a serious crash happens long before the driver even gets behind the wheel. Some employers enforce unreasonable deadlines and pressure drivers to cut corners to meet them. Sometimes, drivers are forced to work long hours, leading to fatigue. A vehicle might not be maintained properly, causing issues with brakes or the vehicle's tires. On top of all that, a driver may be inexperienced or employed despite having a history of reckless driving.

These are all issues which I rarely see authorities dig into. They might cite or charge a driver, but that doesn't do much to address what's going on behind the scenes. If investigations show this all happened due to a momentary lapse in judgment, so be it. But if there's more to the story, it needs to be rooted out and addressed. Otherwise, more people could be hurt in the future.