UPDATE (July 17, 2025): Additional reports have been released concerning this accident which state that the man who had been behind the wheel of the rear-ending vehicle is facing multiple charges including intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle, manslaughter, and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Further details are not currently available. Investigations remain underway.

UPDATE (April 24, 2025): Recent reports have been released which identify the adult woman who was injured as a result of this accident as 32-year-old Juana Dejesus Torres, of Conroe. No additional information is currently available. Investigations continue.

Montgomery County, TX — April 4, 2025, a child was killed and other people were injured in a car accident shortly before 10:30 p.m. along State Highway 242.

According to authorities, a woman and three children ages eight, twelve, and thirteen were traveling in an eastbound Chevrolet Tahoe on State Highway 242 in the vicinity of the Harpers Trace intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the Tahoe was rear-ended by a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The 12-year-old—who had been in the back seat of the Tahoe—suffered critical and life-threatening injuries due to the wreck. He was transported to a local hospital before being flown to an area medical facility for necessary treatment. However, he was ultimately unable to overcome the severity of his injuries, having later been declared deceased.

The woman and the other two children sustained serious injures, as well, and were also taken to the hospital for treatment. Reports also state that the man who had been wheel of the pickup truck may have been impaired at the time of the accident. He was also taken to a medical facility for treatment of injuries incurred in the accident.

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 vehicle is rear-ended so violently that it results in the death of a child and serious injuries to others, people understandably want to know how something so serious could have happened. And when early reports suggest the driver who caused the crash may have been impaired, it’s worth asking an even more important question: how did that driver come to be behind the wheel in that condition?

In many drunk driving crashes, identifying the presence of alcohol is seen as the end of the story. But more often than not, it’s just the beginning. A thorough investigation should also explore where the driver was drinking before the crash—and whether someone continued serving them alcohol after they were obviously intoxicated.

Texas law prohibits alcohol providers from serving someone who shows clear signs of intoxication. If they do, and that person goes on to hurt someone, the provider may share in the responsibility under the state’s dram shop laws. That law exists for a reason: to make sure alcohol service doesn't become a contributing factor to crashes like this one.

In my experience, when a bar or restaurant overserves a customer, it’s rarely a close call. More often, it’s several drinks past the point where impairment is obvious. And yet, some providers keep serving, trusting that no one will follow up later to find out what role they played.

That’s why it’s so important not to overlook this part of the investigation. When authorities don’t take the time to identify the source of alcohol, it can leave families without answers—and it allows unsafe alcohol service to continue unchecked.

From where I sit, families affected by a crash like this deserve the full story. If the driver was indeed impaired by alcohol, figuring out where the driver was drinking is one of the most important steps we can take to help them get answers—and to ensure real accountability.