Austin County, TX — December 17, 2025, Shirley Biehunko was killed as the result of a semi-truck accident at around 7:10 a.m. along FM 949.

Investigators said that the accident happened south of Bellville at the intersection of FM 949 and Mill Creek Road.

According to officials, 55-year-old Shirley Hegemeyer Biehunko was in a Toyota Highlander traveling northeast along the roadway. An 18-wheeler was going the opposite direction, reportedly at an unsafe speed. As a result, the vehicles collided.

Shirley Biehunko died as a result of the crash. Authorities have not reported charges at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

People might be quick to jump to conclusions here since authorities allege the truck driver here was going at unsafe speeds. If true, that might explain how this crash happened, but the victim's loved ones deserve to know why it happened. That's where things can get rather complex.

I've handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases. Something that authorities too often overlook is that truck drivers' employers can play a role in deadly accidents. If a driver is going too fast, for example, are they trying to meet an unreasonable deadline? Are they well over their hours of service and rushing to get off the road? Are they an inexperienced driver or a driver with a documented history of reckless behavior?

The reality is a lot of problems that lead to truck wrecks begin long before the truck driver gets behind the wheel. If the investigations simply focus on the evidence that's obvious at the crash scene, important details could slip through the cracks, and dangerous conditions could continue unchecked until more people are hurt or killed. That's why it's important to know what efforts authorities have made here to get the facts. Are they diligently looking into all possible contributing factors and any potential accomplices? Or, are they leaving important questions unanswered?