Denton, TX — May 17, 2025, Shirley Stewart was injured in a car accident at about 12:40 p.m. at the intersection of Mingo Road and Texas Street.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2015 Lexus GX 470 was headed southeast on Mingo Road when it hit a 2010 Ford Escape was going west on Texas Street.

Ford driver Shirley Stewart, 87, suffered serious injuries in the crash, while the 59-year-old man riding with her was listed as possibly injured, according to the report.

A passenger in the Lexus suffered minor injuries, the report states, but the driver and two children were not injured, the report states.

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

Commentary

When someone gets seriously hurt in a crash, it's natural to wonder not only how it happened but also whether all the right questions are being asked. Real accountability depends on a full, rigorous look into the facts. That’s rarely accomplished through surface-level reports or snap conclusions.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? It’s not yet clear if investigators in this case went beyond the basics. For a two-vehicle collision in a city intersection, a thorough approach should include more than simply recording positions and taking statements. Laser-based scene mapping, vehicle speed estimates and an examination of driver behavior just prior to the crash can all shed light on how and why it occurred. Especially when an elderly driver is seriously hurt, it's essential that investigators take extra care to look for subtler factors — like delayed reaction time or unexpected maneuvers by the other driver — that can influence responsibility. Not every agency is equally trained or resourced to handle that level of detail.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? No mention has been made of any mechanical inspection, but that doesn’t mean one wasn’t needed. For instance, if either vehicle failed to yield or stop properly, it’s worth asking whether a stuck accelerator, brake malfunction or sensor error might have played a part. The Ford involved was a 2010 model, and age alone can bring wear that compromises safety. Without a formal teardown or diagnostics, those possibilities can be missed entirely. In multi-vehicle crashes, people often assume driver fault right away, overlooking mechanical reasons that a driver couldn’t act in time.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles, especially ones like the Lexus GX 470, carry onboard systems that track steering, braking, speed and in some cases, lane positioning. Combined with phone records, GPS data and even nearby traffic cameras, that information can provide a much clearer picture of what each driver was doing in the seconds before impact. Without pulling that data, it’s easy to make assumptions based on incomplete impressions. If a driver was distracted or if a system failed to alert in time, the electronic trail often holds the only record of those facts.

Takeaways:

• Serious crash investigations need more than just pictures and police notes; they need full scene analysis and timeline reconstructions.
• Older vehicles involved in accidents deserve a closer look at whether mechanical failures or defects contributed.
• Without checking vehicle and digital data, it’s impossible to fully understand what happened in the moments before a collision.