Bosque County, TX — March 22, 2025, Stephen Gent was killed following a single-vehicle truck accident at approximately 11:15 p.m. along State Highway 22.

According to authorities, 62-year-old Stephen Gent was traveling in a southbound Freightliner Cascadia on Depot Street (S.H. 22) in the vicinity of the Morgan Street intersection when the accident took place.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the truck was involved in a single-vehicle collision. Gent reportedly suffered fatal injuries over the course of the accident. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary

When a commercial truck driver is killed in a single-vehicle crash and the cause remains uncertain, as appears to be the case here in Bosque County, it’s not enough to assume fatigue or inattention was to blame. In my experience, fatal truck crashes often involve overlooked mechanical issues, roadway hazards, or incomplete investigations. To properly understand what happened on State Highway 22, there are three key questions that should be asked.

First, did the authorities conduct a thorough investigation? Truck crashes at night come with their own challenges—limited lighting, complex road geometry, and the absence of witnesses. Investigators should have examined skid marks, the vehicle’s trajectory, signage, and any environmental conditions that may have played a role. Was the road surface damaged or uneven? Was there an obstruction or poorly marked curve? Without detailed scene documentation, a second look from an independent crash reconstruction expert may be the only way to uncover important details that a preliminary investigation might miss.

Second, has anyone looked into whether a mechanical failure contributed to the crash? The Freightliner Cascadia is a highly technical vehicle, and failures in steering, brakes, suspension, or electronic systems can result in sudden and catastrophic loss of control. Air brake system failures, in particular, are a known hazard if not maintained properly. These types of mechanical defects are nearly impossible to identify without a forensic vehicle inspection—something that requires the truck to be preserved in its post-crash condition.

Lastly, has all the electronic data from the truck been collected? Freightliners are typically equipped with electronic control modules (ECMs) that capture critical pre-crash data—speed, braking, throttle position, and gear status. This information can help determine whether the vehicle behaved as expected and whether the driver took any corrective action. Dash camera footage, GPS logs, or fleet telematics systems may also offer valuable insight, but all of this data is time-sensitive and must be retrieved promptly before it’s lost or overwritten.

In a crash where the cause is unclear and someone has lost their life, it’s not enough to rely on broad assumptions. Asking these questions is the least that can be done to ensure that those affected by this crash get the clarity and closure they deserve.