Waxahachie, TX — August 3, 2024, Michael Jackson was killed in a car accident at about 6 a.m. on northbound Interstate 35E.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2010 Ford Fusion was disabled in the right lane of the interstate. The driver was attempting to push the car off the road when it was hit from behind by a 2013 Chrysler Town & Country.

The minivan was trying to pass another vehicle when it moved into the right lane, but it did not have enough time to avoid a collision with the disabled vehicle near Bigham Road, the report states.

The man who had been pushing the Ford, 62-year-old Michael Jackson, died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to the report.

The Chrysler driver was not injured, the report states.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Some accidents leave behind questions that don’t go away just because the scene has been cleared. When someone loses their life during what might have been a simple roadside emergency, it’s worth taking a closer look at the layers of responsibility and whether critical evidence was gathered, or missed.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? The circumstances here demand more than a basic scene diagram. A driver pushing a disabled car on an interstate raises questions about visibility, vehicle positioning and the other driver's decision-making in real time. Was the crash scene reconstructed using precise tools like total station laser mapping? Did investigators track pre-impact paths to understand lane movements and stopping distances? These are not details that can be guessed. They need to be documented thoroughly. Not every responding agency has the time or specialized training to do that kind of deep dive.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? A 2010 Ford Fusion becoming disabled in the middle of a highway isn’t something to overlook. Was this a case of engine failure, transmission trouble or even an electrical issue? And just as critically, what about the minivan? A failure in forward collision sensors or braking systems could explain why the driver didn’t react in time. Unless both vehicles were inspected closely for mechanical or electronic problems, the real cause might remain hidden.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles carry the story of a crash inside their systems. Data from the Chrysler’s engine control module could show speed, braking force and steering inputs just before impact. GPS logs or infotainment data might indicate distraction or route changes. Even dashcam or traffic cam footage, if available, could fill in the gaps. But unless someone took steps to preserve and analyze that data quickly, it may now be lost.

It’s not enough to say a crash happened and move on. When someone dies while trying to do something as human as pushing their car out of harm’s way, it calls for a deeper level of scrutiny. We owe it to the truth to ask whether this tragedy was fully understood, or simply written off too soon.

Key Takeaways:

• It's unclear whether investigators reconstructed the crash with advanced tools or just filed a standard report.
• Mechanical issues in either vehicle may have gone unexamined, leaving key causes unknown.
• Vehicle data systems could hold the truth, but only if someone thought to gather it in time.