• December 08, 2022

Tioga, TX — December 6, 2022, 52-year-old Bernabe Rodriguez died and four people were hurt in a multi-vehicle crash in Grayson County.

Authorities say the incident happened Tuesday afternoon along U.S. Highway 377, just south of Tioga. Preliminary investigation suggests 28-year-old Eric Rodriguez was stopped on the highway waiting to make a left turn onto Emberson Chapel Road. As he waited to turn his Nissan Altima was rear-ended by a Jeep Wrangler; the impact pushed his car into the oncoming lane where it collided with two other vehicles.

Bernabe Rodriguez, a passenger in the struck car, was pronounced dead at the scene. Eric Rodriguez and another passenger, 41-year-old Carlos Flores, suffered serious injuries. The drivers in the secondary crashes, 63-year-old Kathryn Cassella and 37-year-old Jamie Clark, were also injured. The SUV driver who hit Erik Rodriguez, 22-year-old Coyre McGallion, was treated at the scene and released.

The investigation continues. No further information is available at this time.

If preliminary reports have their facts straight it seems like this terrible accident was triggered by a driver rear-ending the victim's stopped vehicle. However, as the investigation continues there doesn't yet seem to be a clear explanation for why that happened.

The most obvious reasons might be driver errors like speeding or inattention, but they're not the only ones and can't be taken for granted. Bad brakes, poor road conditions, blocked sightlines, medical emergencies...the list of potential factors goes on and and it's important to address each to ensure the whole story is learned.

I'm not trying to invent excuses or complicate things here; maybe they're as straightforward as they seem. I just know from long experience that few accidents really are, which is why the matter needs careful attention to detail. I just hope that in the end authorities take the time and care needed to get clear answers for the people who need and deserve them.