Erik Montgomery Killed in Rollover Accident on 34th St in Lubbock, TX
Lubbock, TX — December 16, 2022, 25-year-old Erik Montgomery died in a fiery single-vehicle accident on 34th Street in Lubbock.
Authorities say the incident happened shortly before 6:20 p.m. on the 4900 block of 34th Street. Preliminary investigation suggests Montgomery was driving a Dodge Charger west on the roadway, possibly racing another vehicle, when he lost control for unconfirmed reasons. His vehicle left its lane and hit a utility pole, then rolled over and caught fire.
Montgomery was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he died a short time later.
No further information is available at this time.
When I read about a single-vehicle accident like this one, I'm often concerned that the details in preliminary reports may be mistaken for the final word on what happened. Not only do people have an unfortunate tendency to blame solo crashes on the drivers, but investigators' mention of speeding and possible racing may be all folks need to say the crash—while unfortunate—needs little further explanation.
That's not to say I know police got things wrong, only that it's always important to investigate carefully and thoroughly to be sure the whole story is known. That means analyzing debris and tire marks at the scene, looking at the car's maintenance history and any relevant recalls for defects, checking the driver's medical history and phone records, testing blood specimens for potential impairment, locating the other vehicle that may have been racing the victim, interviewing witnesses and reviewing video footage, and doing whatever else it takes to find out any and every factor in what happened on 34th Street.
Unfortunately I've learned that in some cases the reach of the necessary investigation exceeds local police departments' grasp. Hopefully that won't be the case in Lubbock and authorities will bring that young man's loved ones the answers they need and deserve.
