Montgomery County, TX — April 27, 2024, Michael Scott was killed and one person was injured in an 18-wheeler accident at around 1:00 a.m. on Highway 105.

Investigators said in preliminary statements that the accident happened in the area of the Highway 105 and Blake Road intersection.

Authorities say that 20-year-old Michael Gabriel Scott and a 25-year-old man were in a Chevy Equinox going westbound on the highway. Up ahead, there was an 18-wheeler apparently stopped along the right lane while the driver went to go open a gate. There, the Chevy crashed into the back of the 18-wheeler trailer.

Scott died as a result of the collision while the passenger of the Chevy had apparently serious injuries. Right now, additional details surrounding the crash are not confirmed.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

To be clear, I don't know more about the crash than what's been made public. I do, however, know there are certain details I rarely see authorities look into on their own. For example, have authorities considered how much of what happened here was due to the 18-wheeler stopping in a lane of travel?

Let me explain what I mean. Obviously, if a driver stops safely, puts on their emergency lights, and takes every reasonable precaution to make the obstruction visible, they're likely not responsible for an ensuing crash. But I've seen many situations where truck drivers stop where they shouldn't, stop for unacceptable reasons, or make no effort ensure their trucks are visible and just assume everyone else will adjust for their needs. In those situations, there needs to be consideration for the degree to which such oversights contribute to a resulting collision.

So while I can't say what did or didn't happen here, I see there's a possible factor which doesn't usually get the attention it deserves. Were authorities here more thorough, or is this another situation not getting enough attention?