• January 06, 2023

Fort Worth, TX — December 8, 2022, 25-year-old Cynthia Urbina Hernandez was seriously injured in a crash with a tractor-trailer on Trinity Boulevard in Fort Worth.

Authorities say the incident happened around 3:40 p.m. on Trinity at Euless South Main Street. Preliminary investigation suggests Urbina Hernandez was driving a Nissan Rogue SUV east on Trinity as a Freightliner 18-wheeler was headed west on the other side. Both vehicles approached the Euless South Main intersection; the big rig reportedly turned left to head south when Urbina Hernandez allegedly disregarded a red light, continued eastward, and crashed into the turning semi-tractor.

Urbina Hernandez received serious injuries in the collision. No other injuries were reported.

No further information is currently available.

People may read the few available details about this crash and say that, while sad, it seems mostly to boil down to someone running a light. Could police be right about that? Maybe. Could there also be more to the story that they overlooked or didn't think to check? Quite possibly.

For instance, here's a few questions that still need answers: How fast were both vehicles traveling? When the truck turned did it have a protected arrow? If so, was the arrow green or flashing yellow, indicating the driver should yield to thru-traffic? Is the officer certain the victim ran a red light, or was that just their assumption (or what the truck driver told them)? Were there any witnesses? Does the truck have dashcam footage of what happened?

I'm not arguing with police findings, but long experience has taught me that preliminary reports are generally just a rough sketch--a starting point for more careful investigation. Unfortunately, limited time and other priorities often pull officers away before that follow-up. When that happens and reports are left too vague or incomplete (or even wrong), that can make serious problems if people look for answers or help down the line. Who'll make sure they get those?