Nueces County, TX — June 18, 2024, Sonia Hernandez was injured due to a car accident shortly before 4:00 p.m. along Saratoga Boulevard.

According to authorities, 45-year-old Sonia Hernandez was traveling in a northwest bound Jeep Cherokee on Saratoga Boulevard in the vicinity about a half of a mile west of the Ayers Street intersection when the accident took place. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a southwest bound Hyundai Sonata attempted to enter the Saratoga Boulevard from a private drive at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way to roadway traffic. A T-bone collision consequently occurred between the front-end of the Jeep and the left side of the Hyundai.

Hernandez reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. She was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Accidents that happen just outside of major intersections or driveways often get chalked up to timing errors or simple misjudgments. But when a driver is seriously injured, those explanations fall short. It’s not just about who had the right-of-way—it’s about whether the crash was fully understood.

1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
When one driver enters a busy road from a private drive and another suffers serious injuries, the crash deserves more than a basic report. Were measurements taken to assess speed and distance? Did investigators map the collision to determine visibility and timing? A T-bone collision suggests a clear failure to yield, but that doesn't answer whether either driver tried to avoid the impact or what kind of reaction time was available. Without a proper reconstruction, those critical factors may go unexamined.

2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
Mechanical issues can sometimes trigger these types of collisions. Did the Sonata have a faulty transmission or sensor error that caused a delayed start? Could the Jeep have experienced brake fade or steering trouble that made an evasive maneuver impossible? These aren’t wild hypotheticals—they’re real-world issues that only a detailed inspection would catch. If both vehicles were quickly moved or written off, that opportunity may already be lost.

3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Today’s vehicles often carry more evidence than a witness ever could. The Jeep’s systems might show speed, braking, and steering input—helping to clarify whether the driver had time to react. Likewise, any available footage from nearby businesses or traffic systems could verify how the Sonata entered the roadway. If no one worked to preserve that data early on, it could have disappeared before it was ever reviewed.

It’s easy to assume fault in a failure-to-yield crash. But real answers come from taking the time to ask deeper questions. When the process stops at the surface, the truth might never come to light.

Takeaways:

• Serious crashes outside driveways still require detailed investigation and scene analysis.
• Mechanical issues—like delayed throttle or brake response—can impact both vehicles’ actions.
• Data from onboard systems and nearby cameras can provide key insights into what actually happened.