Denton County, TX — December 24, 2025, a teenager was injured due to a single-car accident shortly before 11:00 p.m. on the Interstate Highway 35E service road.

According to authorities, a 17-year-old boy was traveling in a southbound Toyota Tundra pickup truck on the I.H. 35E service road in the vicinity south of the Corinth Street intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, the pickup truck was involved in a single-vehicle collision in which it apparently struck a traffic signal pole.

The boy reportedly sustained serious injuries as a result of the wreck. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a young driver ends up in a serious single-vehicle crash, especially late at night, it’s tempting to chalk it up to inexperience or distraction. But a collision with a traffic signal pole isn’t just a mistake—it’s a symptom of something going wrong, and figuring out what that was takes more than just assumptions.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
Collisions like this should be reconstructed with care, especially when a teenager is behind the wheel. Did the investigation document whether the driver tried to steer or brake before the impact? Was the truck’s path mapped out using marks on the pavement, vehicle debris, or other physical clues? Without a complete scene analysis, it’s impossible to know whether this crash came from overcorrection, a sudden obstacle, or something more serious that forced the driver off course.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
Modern trucks like the Toyota Tundra rely on a combination of mechanical systems and electronic safety tech. A failure in either could lead to an unpredictable or unresponsive vehicle. If a steering component broke, or if a stability system malfunctioned, the truck could have veered without warning. These types of failures are often missed unless someone does a full mechanical and diagnostic inspection after the crash.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Event data recorders in vehicles like the Tundra can capture critical details: speed, brake use, throttle position, steering angle, and even whether crash avoidance systems activated. This information can help determine whether the driver had control—or if the truck failed to respond to input. Phone data or GPS logs might also provide insight into what was happening moments before the crash. But unless this data was retrieved early, it may already be gone.

Teenage drivers may be more vulnerable to late-night crashes, but that doesn’t mean the cause is always on them. When a serious injury is involved, it's worth finding out whether the driver was failed by something more than their judgment.

Takeaways:

• Single-vehicle crashes involving young drivers require full reconstruction to understand vehicle behavior before impact.
• Steering, tire, or electronic stability failures must be ruled out through a proper vehicle inspection.
• Vehicle and phone data can clarify whether the driver reacted appropriately—or if the truck didn’t respond.