• December 15, 2022

UPDATE (December 16, 2022): Sources have identified the two drivers involved in this crash as 33-year-old Zabrian Granado and 49-year-old Tracy Baten. It is our sad duty to report that Zabrian Granado was pronounced dead a short time after the collision on Highway 385. Tracy Baten's current condition is unknown.

Hockley County, TX — December 14, 2022, two people were injured in a traffic accident on U.S. Highway 385 in Hockley County.

Authorities say the incident happened just before 7:00 p.m. near the intersection of US-385 and Farm to Market Road 1585. The cause and circumstances of the accident aren't clear yet, but preliminary reports indicate a the driver of a westbound vehicle on FM 1585 may have disregarded a stop sign and entered Highway 385 as a northbound vehicle approached. The two collided in the highway's travel lanes.

Both drivers reportedly sustained critical injuries in the wreck.

No further information is available at this time.

Commentary on Car Accident on US-385 in Hockley County

An unfortunate truth I've learned over the years is that police don't always give a crash like this the careful attention it deserves. With officers concluding that one person ran a stop sign, that may be enough for them to assign fault on their reports and move on. However, that might be overly simplified and could be overlooking important questions, like why the car might have run the stop sign. Blaming the driver without first accounting for things like wet roads or bad brakes is unfair, but I've seen more than enough premature conclusions drawn to wonder if the same might happen here.

If what police come up with is incomplete or even wrong that can make serious problems for anyone seeking answers or help later, so if there's doubt or confusion about what happened or who's at fault (which happens all the time) I often recommend a second look from independent experts. The people affected by this accident deserve no less than the whole story.