Judy Fross Injured in Truck Accident on US-82 in Wichita County, TX
Wichita County, TX — August 27, 2022, 83-year-old Judy Powell Fross was seriously injured in a crash with a commercial truck on U.S. Highway 82 in Wichita County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 11:45 a.m. on US-82 at Parker Ranch Road. Preliminary investigation suggests Fross was driving a Hyundai Elantra south on Parker Ranch when she stopped at the US-82 intersection. Reports say she then failed to yield to highway traffic and pulled forward to turn left, at which point a westbound Dodge Ram 4500 pickup with a trailer hit the Hyundai's driver side.
The impact spun the car through the road's eastbound lanes and it came to rest on the shoulder by Turkey Ranch Road. The Dodge also ran off the road to the south before coming to rest.
Fross was transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Judy Fross Accident in Wichita County
Investigators believe the victim failed to yield to cross-traffic at the intersection, but can't really say with any certainty why that might have happened. People may have filled in that blank with guesses about momentary distraction or carelessness causing her to hit the gas, but what if there's more to the story?
People don't always realize that a lot of car wrecks are far more complicated than they seem at the outset. A lot of potential factors can affect their outcome, yet time and again I've seen those overlooked as people just point to a single cause and pin everything to it. In Wichita County, for instance, a lot could have been happening besides the driver just mistiming her turn. What if the car malfunctioned and just lurched forward into the roadway? Reports mention a westbound big rig was on the road too; did that truck block the victim's view of the approaching pickup? How fast was the pickup traveling?
That's just a handful of the many questions that still need attention to be sure the wreck is fully understood. Tempted as some may be to just blame things on driver error and move on, it's best to remember that everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt unless clear evidence says otherwise. Right now reports say the victim failed to yield but don't say why, which is too big a blank to go unfilled.
