Houston, TX — June 9, 2025, Jose Udave Jr. was injured in a truck accident at about 6:55 a.m. on northbound Interstate 69/Eastex Freeway.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2016 Volvo semi-truck and a 2012 Dodge Challenger collided near Lauder Road, causing the smaller vehicle to crash into a retaining wall.

Dodge driver Jose Udave Jr., 22, was seriously injured in the crash, according to the report. The truck driver was not injured.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a crash between a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck on a Houston freeway, they’re bound to wonder what actually happened. Was the truck merging? Did someone swerve? Was anyone speeding, distracted or in the wrong lane? The early report on this incident, where a Dodge Challenger collided with a Volvo 18-wheeler and ended up against a retaining wall, leaves a lot of those basic questions unanswered.

Depending on whether the semi was in motion or changing lanes, different questions come up. Was the truck drifting? Did the car make a sudden move to avoid something? We don’t know yet, and that’s a problem, because the longer these details go unexamined, the harder it becomes to hold the right people accountable.

That’s why I always say that the first step in understanding a truck accident isn’t blame; it’s evidence. That means reviewing the truck’s black box (engine control module) to see speed, brake application and steering input in the moments leading up to the crash. If the truck was equipped with an in-cab camera system, those video recordings can be critical for showing lane position, traffic flow and driver behavior.

Cell phone records are another piece of the puzzle. Was the truck driver using their phone? Were they on a call, texting or otherwise distracted? We’ve seen numerous cases where a driver’s phone activity directly contradicted their version of events.

Beyond the scene, it’s important to understand who put the trucker on the road in the first place. What kind of background check did the trucking company perform? Did they review the driver’s record, conduct road testing or verify experience? I once handled a case where a company’s hiring process boiled down to a 20-minute drive around the block, a far cry from any meaningful evaluation. The result? A completely unqualified driver in control of a 40-ton vehicle.

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to guess what happened; it’s to find out. And that requires a full investigation, guided by hard evidence. Because when someone is seriously hurt and no one knows why, it’s not enough to wait for answers to surface. You have to go out and get them.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not yet clear how the collision between the 18-wheeler and the passenger car occurred, whether the truck was changing lanes, stopped or drifting.
• Critical evidence like dash cam footage, ECM data and phone records can clarify the trucker’s actions leading up to the crash.
• Trucking company hiring and training practices should be examined to assess whether the driver was properly vetted and qualified.
• Without immediate and thorough investigation, essential details may be lost, making it harder to determine fault and prevent similar incidents in the future.