Andrew Sosa, Ethan Harris Killed in Truck Accident on US-67 near Talpa, TX
Coleman County, TX — December 6, 2022, 44-year-old Andrew Sosa and 19-year-old Ethan Harris died in a crash with a semi-truck on U.S. Highway 67 in Coleman County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 4:10 a.m. along US-67 near County Road 412, just east of Talpa. Preliminary investigation suggest an International semi-truck was towing a trailer east on the highway as Sosa was driving a GMC Sierra pickup west. Investigators alleged the pickup crossed over into the oncoming lane where it crashed head-on with the big rig. Both vehicles then ran off the road into the south ditch, where the pickup overturned and caught fire.
Sosa and his passenger Harris were pronounced dead at the scene. The commercial driver was unhurt.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Andrew Sosa, Ethan Harris Accident near Talpa
I often stress on this blog how important it is to keep an open mind and investigate carefully after any crash. Even with something like an alleged crossover wreck where the cause may seem clear, many such incidents are far less straightforward than they first seem.
For example, I handled a similar accident not long ago in which a victim was faulted for crossing left of center and crashing with a big rig. Our experts looked again on the victim's behalf, though, and found police were wrong: The truck driver actually drifted left of center first after falling asleep at the wheel. The victim crossed over to avoid the big rig but the truck driver woke up and corrected course at the same time. Police just found the crashed vehicles in the truck's lane and assumed the victim was to blame.
That situation was pretty unique and I'm not claiming anything like it happened in Coleman County. Even if police are sure of their story, though there's still the urgent question of why the pickup crossed over. Many possible explanations, from driver mistakes to vehicle malfunctions to blown tires to poor visibility at night, could have played roles and it's important to carefully consider them all. The victims' loved ones deserve no less than the truth, so I hope authorities took the needed time and care to find it for them.
