Tarrant County, TX — September 3, 2024, Sang Tran and another person were injured in a car accident shortly before 2:45 p.m. along New York Avenue.

According to authorities, 69-year-old Sang Tran was traveling in a southbound Honda Civic on New York Avenue in the vicinity south of the Parke Row Drive intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a northbound Chevrolet Silverado occupied by a 20-year-old man attempted a left turn onto a private drive at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic. This resulted in a collision between the front-end of the pickup truck and the front-left quarter of the Civic.

Tran reportedly suffered serious injuries over the course of the accident, and the man who had been behind the wheel of the pickup truck sustained moderate injuries, as well. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash results from a left turn made across oncoming traffic, as appears to be the case here in Tarrant County, people often assume that a failure to yield is the beginning and end of the story. But in my experience, understanding why the turn was made at an unsafe time is just as important as identifying that it was made. Especially when serious injuries are involved, like those reportedly suffered by Sang Tran, there are three key questions that need to be answered in order to get the full picture.

First, was the crash scene thoroughly investigated? In left-turn collisions, it's not enough to say a driver failed to yield—the real question is whether they had a clear and reasonable opportunity to judge oncoming traffic. Was visibility compromised by weather, obstructions, or poor roadway design? Were lane markings or signage confusing? Investigators should have carefully documented the intersection, gathered statements, and looked for surveillance footage that might show the vehicles’ positions and timing. Without that kind of detail, important contributing factors could easily go unrecognized.

Second, has anyone considered whether a mechanical issue in either vehicle played a role? If the Chevrolet Silverado experienced a problem with its brakes or steering, the driver may have committed to a turn and then been unable to stop or adjust course. On the other side, if the Honda Civic’s systems failed—such as stability control or braking assist—those malfunctions might have affected the ability to avoid the crash or mitigate its severity. These types of failures usually require a forensic inspection of both vehicles and won’t be identified through a standard visual review.

Finally, has all available electronic data been retrieved? Both the Silverado and the Civic are likely equipped with event data recorders that capture speed, braking, and steering inputs in the seconds before a crash. That information can be crucial for understanding how fast each vehicle was moving, whether evasive action was attempted, and how the vehicles responded. Investigators should also review any dashcam footage, GPS data, or nearby surveillance video that could shed further light on how and why the collision occurred.

Answering these three questions is critical to making sure that no stone is left unturned in understanding the causes of a crash like this. Serious wrecks deserve serious investigation, not assumptions. Getting clear answers to these questions is crucial for those seeking to understand what happened and why—and it's the least that can be done to help those affected find the clarity and closure they deserve.