• June 21, 2022

UPDATE (June 24, 2022): Officials identified the woman killed in the accident as 62-year-old Katherine Anna Carnell. Additional details about the accident are unavailable at this time.

Austin County, TX -- June 2, 2022, an Alabama woman was killed due to an accident where her vehicle crashed with a tractor-trailer on I-10.

Initial reports indicated that the crash took place at around 9:45 p.m. along I-10 near mile marker 714.

Officials said that a 62-year-old Theodore, Alabama woman was in a Nissan Sentra traveling eastbound. Traffic was reportedly slowed at the time when the Nissan somehow hit the back of a tractor-trailer.

The woman in the car sustained fatal injuries due to the crash. No further information about the accident is available at this time.

Commentary on Katherine Anna Carnell 18-wheeler Accident in Austin County

Folks tend to jump to conclusions when someone rear-ends a truck on the highway. Frankly, that's because the crash usually involves things like distraction, speeding, and fatigue. But it would be irresponsible to overlook other possibilities simply because they seem unlikely. The rear driver is not always responsible for a crash like this, and ensuring a victim's loved ones are getting the full story.

There could be a situation like one I looked into several weeks ago where an 18-wheeler merged into traffic without turning its lights on. There was another situation involving a truck pulling out of a construction zone into someone's path. There could even be something highly unusual like a woman seriously injured not due to hitting the back of a semi but because she had defective air bags.

My purpose isn't to sit here and speculate. My goal is for people to understand that getting people answers means looking into even unlikely possible circumstances. That requires thorough independent investigations the authorities may not have the means to handle. Are steps being taken here to ensure nothing important slipped through the cracks?

[jump]