Kerr County, TX — July 1, 2024, Austin Lyman was killed and Micah Holden and Nathanael Holden were injured in a car accident at about 6:30 a.m. on State Highway 173.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2020 Ram 1500 was heading north when it collided with a southbound 2015 Ford F-350 towing a trailer near Wharton Road.

Ram driver Austin Timothy Lyman, 19, died from injuries suffered in the crash south of Kerrville, according to the report.

Ford driver Micah Holden, 36, and brother Nathanael Holden were seriously injured in the crash, the report states. Passengers Mark Holden, Isaiah Holden and a 13-year-old boy suffered minor injuries.

The report does not include any additional information about the Kerr County crash.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

After serious wrecks, it’s common to focus on what’s visible: the vehicle damage, the road, the immediate facts. But understanding why a crash happened requires asking deeper questions that aren’t always answered in initial reports.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? In a collision involving multiple people and a fatality, the scope of the investigation matters. A meaningful review should go beyond routine documentation. That includes mapping the scene with precision tools, reconstructing the movement of each vehicle and looking closely at pre-crash behavior. Were both drivers’ conditions reviewed for signs of distraction or impairment? Did investigators spend enough time analyzing the physical evidence at the scene? These are the kinds of steps that can make the difference between surface-level conclusions and a reliable understanding of what happened.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? It’s important not to assume that all collisions are the result of driver behavior. Mechanical problems — like brake failures, steering issues or problems with towing equipment — can play a role, especially in heavier vehicles. These issues often aren’t visible without a detailed inspection. If either truck was removed from the scene without that kind of evaluation, then part of the story may still be missing.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles store detailed information about what happens just before a crash. That includes speed, braking, steering and even seatbelt use. Some vehicles also track GPS movement and phone connections. Investigators should have preserved that data to help verify events leading up to the impact. If it wasn’t collected promptly, that information may be lost, and with it, an objective record of what took place.

Asking these kinds of questions isn’t about second-guessing the obvious. It’s about making sure that no detail is left unexplored. Every crash leaves behind information. The challenge is whether anyone takes the time to find it.

Key Takeaways:

• Full investigations require scene analysis and behavior review, not just documentation.
• Mechanical inspections are key to ruling out hidden causes.
• Onboard electronics can verify what drivers did before impact.