Montgomery, AL — November 18, 2022, Maria Baltazar, Hosea Lopez, Veronica Gonzalez, and two children died in a traffic accident in Montgomery.

Authorities say the incident happened around 12:30 a.m. in the area of I-65 North at West South Boulevard. Preliminary investigation suggests all the victims were riding in a Toyota Corolla when Baltazar, 49, allegedly drove it onto the highway headed the wrong direction. Moments later the car collided with an 18-wheeler.

Baltazar and the car's passengers--Lopez, 27; Gonzalez, 28; and two children ages 10 and 4--were killed in the crash. No other injuries were reported.

The crash remains under investigation. No further information is currently available.

Commentary on Maria Baltazar, Hosea Lopez, Veronica Gonzalez Accident in Montgomery

Folks may see that the victim of this crash allegedly got on the highway headed the wrong way and feel there's little else to say aside from acknowledging the crash was tragic. The news and police suggested (though didn't outright say) that the driver not noticing signage may have been part of the issue, and while I don't have any specific reason to doubt that I wonder if it's really the whole story.

For instance, even if the driver headed the wrong way on the interstate there's still the urgent question of why. Theories about signage aside, what does the evidence suggest--or is there any? Was the driver awake, alert, and committing her full attention to the road? Are authorities sure that signage was present, visible, and easily interpreted there? Could anything else have caused the victim to mistake the exit ramp for an entrance? Exactly how long was the car on the highway before encountering the truck? Was there any way to realistically avoid their collision?

Talking about this and wondering whether there's still more to learn isn't about searching for a "bad guy" or arguing with police. I'm not trying to unduly blame anyone, just saying what I always do: When someone is hurt or killed in an accident it's in everyone's best interests to know and fully understand why that terrible event occurred. Will police efforts alone be enough to get the whole truth in Montgomery?