DeSoto, TX — July 4, 2025, Jonathan Salamanca and three other people were injured in a multi-car accident at about 4:20 a.m. on Interstate 35E.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2021 Toyota Tundra, a 2015 Ram 3500 and a 2013 Lexus ES350 hit a median barrier and crash attenuator while heading south near exit 416. The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado also was listed in the report, but it does not indicate the pickup was damaged in the crash.

Ram driver Jonathan Salamanca, 23, and two passengers — a 24-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman — were seriously injured in the crash, according to the report. A 14-year-old boy suffered minor injuries, while a 3-year-old girl was listed as possibly injured.

A 31-year-old man riding in the Toyota suffered serious injuries as well, the report states. The driver was possibly injured.

The names of the other people hurt in the crash have not been made public yet.

The Lexus driver and the two people in the Chevrolet were not hurt, according to the report.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Dallas County crash at this time.

Commentary

After a major highway crash, the immediate concern is always for the injured, but once the dust settles, what comes next is often unclear. What caused so many vehicles to collide in the early morning hours? Were all the moving parts, both human and mechanical, working as they should? These are the kinds of questions that don’t always get the attention they deserve, yet they often hold the key to understanding what really happened.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? A crash involving multiple vehicles and serious injuries demands more than a basic report. Was this scene reconstructed using laser tools or drone imaging? Did investigators analyze pre-crash movement, like lane changes or braking patterns, to understand how each vehicle ended up against the barrier? At 4:20 a.m., fatigue and visibility can be factors, but it’s up to trained crash specialists to dig deeper. Unfortunately, not every jurisdiction has the same level of expertise or resources, and sometimes vital clues are missed because the scene wasn’t studied thoroughly enough.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? With this many vehicles involved, it's fair to wonder if one had a mechanical issue that triggered the pile-up. Did a tire blow out? Did someone lose braking power or experience a steering failure? Especially with pickups and older vehicles in the mix, thorough inspections of all the involved cars, particularly those that first struck the barrier, could reveal issues no one would notice at first glance. Mechanical failures don’t always leave obvious signs, but they can dramatically change how a crash unfolds.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles, especially trucks and SUVs like the ones involved here, store valuable data. Were the electronic control modules from the Tundra, Ram and Lexus downloaded? That information could show whether drivers tried to brake or swerve. Cell phones and GPS history might offer insight into distraction or confusion, while traffic cameras could show vehicle positioning in real time. Without that digital footprint, it’s much harder to know who was reacting and who was not.

When a crash leaves multiple people hurt and questions unanswered, there’s a strong case for looking beneath the surface. What seems chaotic can often make more sense once every angle has been explored, something that doesn’t always happen unless someone asks the hard questions.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear if investigators used advanced tools to analyze this complex crash.
• Mechanical problems could have triggered or worsened the incident.
• Vehicle and phone data might explain driver actions but may not have been reviewed.