Travis County, TX — July 15, 2024, Jessica Garza and a child were injured due to a car accident at approximately 8:00 a.m. along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

According to authorities, 34-year-old Jessica Garza and an 8-year-old girl were traveling in an eastbound Buick Regal on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the Tillery Street intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a southbound Dodge Stratus on Tillery entered the intersection at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign. A collision consequently occurred between the front-right side of the Stratus and the front-end of the Buick.

Garza reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. The child in the Buick suffered minor injuries, as well, reports state. They were transported to local medical facilities by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a vehicle enters a major intersection from a stop sign and causes a collision, the initial takeaway often focuses on the failure to yield. But when serious injuries occur—especially involving a child—what matters more is whether the investigation uncovered the full story.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
Stop-sign collisions often get labeled as routine, but the reality is rarely that simple. Investigators should have closely reviewed sight lines, vehicle speeds, and whether either driver took evasive action. Did the Stratus come to a full stop? How far away was the Buick when the Dodge entered the intersection? These are the kinds of details that require careful scene measurements and timing analysis. If that effort wasn’t made, critical insights into fault and reaction time may have been missed.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
A failure to yield might not be a matter of misjudgment—it could point to a mechanical or electronic failure. If the Stratus had issues with brakes, throttle response, or visibility systems, it could have led the driver to miscalculate or fail to stop properly. On the Buick’s side, safety systems like airbags and seat restraints are especially critical when children are involved. Without full mechanical inspections, there’s a risk that important contributing factors are being overlooked.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
While older vehicles like the Stratus may not offer much in the way of digital logs, the Buick Regal likely contains data that could show braking, speed, and steering input. That information can help confirm whether the driver had time to react—or whether the Stratus entered the intersection too late for avoidance. Any nearby surveillance or traffic cameras could further clarify what each vehicle was doing in the seconds before impact. If no effort was made to retrieve this evidence, the narrative may be incomplete.

When crashes involve children and significant injuries, it’s not enough to assume someone made a bad call. The deeper question is whether everything—from visibility to vehicle systems—worked the way it should have.

Takeaways:

• Stop-sign crashes with serious injuries call for detailed analysis of driver response and vehicle timing.
• Mechanical or sensor issues may affect a driver’s ability to stop or judge traffic.
• Vehicle data and external camera footage can clarify who had the chance to avoid the collision.