Gonzales County, TX — December 30, 2025, Michael Martinez and one other were injured after an 18-wheeler accident at around 10:38 p.m. on US Highway 87.

Authorities reported that the accident happened just west of Smiley along the highway.

According to officials, 35-year-old Michael Martinez was in a Honda Civic going southeast. A Volvo 18-wheeler was going northwest. In events unclear, the vehicles crossed paths and collided. Michael Martinez reportedly was seriously injured in the crash. The truck driver had moderate injuries.

Investigators did not give any additional details about the accident.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Some people think truck wrecks are basically just big car accidents. However, they bring on all kinds of unique challenges investigators have to account for. Authorities don't always have the sort of experience or equipment needed to do that.

As such, a lot of folks find that they need independent accident reconstructionists looking into serious commercial truck wrecks. I've handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases, and I've found that victims and families usually fare best when there are independent investigators making sure authorities haven't missed anything important.

At the end of the day, it's up to the evidence to tell the story. It's a lot more prudent to put a crash in the hands of professionals trained and equipped to gather and preserve all of that than to just hope that authorities can handle everything on their own.