Bellmead, TX — November 17, 2025, a Riesel man was injured in a car accident at about 6:45 a.m. on State Highway 31.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2021 Ford F-150 was heading south when it collided with a 2024 Ford Edge while turning left onto Williams Drive.

The SUV driver, a 54-year-old Riesel man, was seriously injured in the crash, according to the report. His name has not been made public yet.

The pickup driver was not injured, the report states.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

After a serious vehicle collision, the first instinct is often to look for quick explanations; someone didn’t yield, someone wasn’t paying attention. But in the aftermath of an early morning crash, the truth is rarely that simple. Getting to the bottom of what really happened means asking the right questions, right away.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Crashes at intersections, especially involving a left turn, can be deceptively complex. It’s not enough to note the direction each vehicle was traveling. A real investigation should examine how fast each vehicle was moving, whether either driver had a clear line of sight and what traffic conditions were like at that hour. Unfortunately, not every officer has the time or training to conduct that level of analysis. Without steps like diagramming the scene or running a full collision reconstruction, key facts can easily be missed or misread.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? With newer model vehicles involved, it’s important to ask whether mechanical or software issues might have played a role. Did the SUV’s steering or braking system respond properly? Could there have been a delayed sensor input or a stability control issue that made avoiding the collision impossible? These kinds of questions don’t get answered without a qualified inspection of both vehicles, something that often doesn’t happen unless someone pushes for it.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Both vehicles were recent models, likely equipped with engine control modules and possibly other telemetry. Those systems can reveal when the drivers applied brakes, how fast they were going or whether any evasive maneuvers were attempted. Reviewing phone records and traffic cameras can also help confirm or challenge assumptions made at the scene. If that data isn’t pulled quickly, it can be lost or overwritten, along with the chance to know what really happened.

When crashes happen in just a few seconds, the details that matter most often aren’t the ones you can see from a dented bumper. Real answers come from digging deeper, not from surface-level summaries. And in cases like this, that means looking beyond the obvious and asking: what didn’t we see?

Key Takeaways:

• Not all crash investigations include in-depth scene analysis or reconstructions.
• Mechanical problems can cause or worsen crashes, even in newer vehicles.
• Vehicle and phone data can offer crucial insights if reviewed in time.