Brookings, SD — April 6, 2025, One person was injured following a car accident that occurred at around 5:16 A.M. on SD324.

An investigation is underway into a car accident that left one person injured during the evening hours of April 6th. According to official reports, a Honda CR-V operated by Rebecca Weston was traveling on SD324 in the westbound lanes near 473rd Avenue, when for unknown reasons the vehicle struck the side of a bridge causing it to enter a ditch and overturn.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that Weston had sustained serious injuries and transported her to the hospital. At this time there has been no further information released about the accident, including the status of Weston's injuries, however this remains an ongoing investigation and more details may be released in the future.

Commentary

When a vehicle veers into the side of a bridge and overturns, as reported in the crash on SD324 near 473rd Avenue, the first question that often arises is, “What went wrong?” In situations like this, especially when there’s no immediate explanation, it’s important not to jump to conclusions. Getting to the bottom of how a crash happened means focusing on three essential questions that are too often overlooked.

First, did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Even in single-vehicle incidents, the investigation needs to go beyond simply noting the position of the vehicle. Was the road surface slick, uneven, or poorly maintained? Were there visibility issues or signs of evasive action? Investigators should take measurements, examine the vehicle’s path of travel, and determine whether the bridge or surrounding area had any structural or environmental hazards. These steps are critical to understanding whether the crash was preventable, and yet they aren’t always completed with the same level of detail from one jurisdiction to the next.

Second, has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? If a driver suddenly loses control, mechanical failure should be considered. With a vehicle like a Honda CR-V, that could mean problems with steering, brakes, tire integrity, or even stability control systems. Even minor component failures can make a vehicle difficult to control, especially near infrastructure like a bridge where there’s little room for correction. But unless the vehicle is preserved and evaluated by someone trained to identify these issues, there’s a real risk those clues will be lost.

Third, has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Vehicles like the CR-V are typically equipped with an engine control module (ECM) that captures valuable data in the seconds leading up to a crash—speed, brake input, throttle position, and steering corrections. That data can help determine whether the vehicle responded to the driver’s input or if something else caused the loss of control. In addition, it’s worth asking whether there were any nearby traffic or surveillance cameras or if cell phone data could offer additional context. This type of evidence is time-sensitive and must be preserved early before it’s lost.

Right now, the full picture of what led to this crash is still developing. But that’s precisely why it’s so important to ask the right questions from the beginning. The person injured in this crash deserves more than speculation—they deserve a full accounting based on facts, evidence, and a complete investigation that explores every possible cause.