Beaumont, TX — June 16, 2025, Mark Durmon was killed in a truck accident at about 3 p.m. on State Highway 124/Fannett Road.

A preliminary accident report indicates a 2020 Mack semi-truck collided with a 2017 Nissan Rogue on a slippery street near Phelps Road.

Nissan driver Mark Edwin Durmon, 53, of Rose City died June 17 from injuries suffered in the crash, according to the report.

The truck driver, a 59-year-old man, was not injured, the report states.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When someone dies in a crash involving a commercial truck, the first thing people want to know is: what exactly happened? In this case, reports say a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle collided on a wet road in Beaumont, but the details stop there. There's no word yet on what led up to the crash, who, if anyone, crossed into whose lane or whether weather alone was the key factor. Those are serious unanswered questions.

Depending on how the crash unfolded, very different legal responsibilities could apply. For example, if the semi-truck lost control due to slippery pavement, then the next question becomes: was the driver going too fast for conditions? If the truck hydroplaned, investigators will want to know the condition of its tires. Were they bald, underinflated or otherwise worn out? And if the Nissan somehow made a sudden move into the truck’s path, that would raise an entirely different set of questions.

Unfortunately, none of those answers are in the current reports. That’s why early investigations in truck crashes can’t just rely on witness statements or surface-level police summaries. Real answers come from black box data, dash cam footage, driver logs and cell phone records. For instance, was the truck driver distracted at the time? On the phone? Tired from driving too many hours? Those are not speculative questions. They’re provable facts, if someone bothers to check.

There’s also the trucking company’s role to consider. Did they properly train this driver? What safety procedures were in place for driving in wet weather? And perhaps most importantly, did they even do a proper background check before putting this person behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle? In past cases I’ve litigated, we’ve found that poor hiring practices, not just driver error, were the real cause behind a deadly crash.

That’s why determining the truth here is not a simple matter of “who hit who.” It’s about pulling together every piece of evidence to see the full picture. Whether the road was wet, the driver was careless or the company cut corners, only a thorough investigation can tell us who should be held accountable.

Key Takeaways:

• The current reports leave out critical details about how the crash happened and who was at fault.
• Evidence like black box data, in-cab cameras and cell phone records can provide crucial insight.
• Investigators should also evaluate the trucking company’s hiring and training practices.
• Weather may have contributed, but it doesn’t automatically excuse poor driving or oversight.
• Real accountability comes from facts, not assumptions.