Altuda, TX — December 9, 2025, Jose Garcia Jr. lost his life and Alejandro Castaneda and a teenager were injured in a car accident at 2:00 a.m. on U.S. 90.

According to authorities, three people—20-year-old Jose Ernesto Garcia Jr., 21-year-old Alejandro Castaneda, and a 17-year-old boy—were traveling in an eastbound Jeep Wrangler on U.S. Highway 90 in the vicinity southeast of Altuda when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the Jeep failed to safely maintain its lane of travel. It was consequently involved in a single-vehicle collision in which it apparently overturned.

Garcia reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident and was declared deceased upon arrival at an area medical facility. Castaneda and the 17-year-old suffered serious injuries, as well, according to reports; they were also transported to area medical facilities by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment.

Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a single-vehicle crash leaves one person dead and two others seriously injured, it's critical to resist the urge to fill in the blanks with assumptions. Especially when the vehicle involved is a Jeep Wrangler—well-known for its unique handling and rollover risk—the real cause could lie far beyond driver error.

1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
A vehicle drifting out of its lane and overturning is a complex event. Did crash investigators document the tire marks, vehicle trajectory, and points of rollover? Did they consider the conditions of the road and whether any evasive actions were taken? With multiple occupants and a fatality involved, this should have triggered a full reconstruction. If that level of investigation didn’t happen, key contributing factors may be overlooked.

2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
A Jeep Wrangler has a higher center of gravity than many vehicles, and that increases its sensitivity to sudden maneuvers, steering instability, or suspension problems. If there was a mechanical failure—such as a tire blowout, steering defect, or electronic stability control issue—it could have caused the vehicle to veer off course and roll. Unless the vehicle was examined by experts, mechanical contributors may still be unrecognized.

3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
The Wrangler’s onboard systems likely recorded critical data: vehicle speed, steering angle, brake application, and throttle input in the moments before the crash. That data, combined with GPS movement and any phone activity, could clarify how and why the vehicle left its lane. If nearby surveillance footage or dashcams exist, they may provide supporting visual evidence. But all of this needs to be gathered quickly, or it may be lost.

Crashes like this are rarely caused by just one factor. A full investigation is the only way to determine what really went wrong—and whether it could have been prevented.

Takeaways:

• Fatal single-vehicle rollovers require detailed crash reconstruction to determine cause.
• Mechanical issues in vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler may contribute to lane loss and rollover.
• Onboard data, GPS records, and phone activity can help reconstruct the lead-up to the crash.