• January 25, 2023

Rhome, TX -- January 19, 2023, Bryan Alfeld was killed after an accident where his vehicle and a commercial truck collided.

Emergency responders were called to the intersection of Highway 114 and FM 718 at around 4:00 p.m., just east of Boyd.

According to authorities, 49-year-old Bryan Alfeld was in a pickup traveling northbound along FM 718. At TX-114, reports claim the pickup went through a red light, and an eastbound semi-truck crashed into Alfeld. He sustained fatal injuries as a result. No other injuries were reported.

While I certainly have no further information about this crash than what's already been released to the public, I can't help but wonder if the crash is really getting the attention it deserves. I've been looking into complex truck wrecks for over 30 years now, and folks would be surprised to see how often someone who "ran a red light" didn't necessarily do anything wrong.

Was there some kind of emergency? Was there a mechanical issue? Do members of the Rhome and Boyd communities believe this to be an unusually dangerous intersection? Have there been issues brought to the attention of local officials which they've failed to adequately address? Is there something wrong with the traffic signals or the condition of the roadway?

It goes without saying that there are more common factors which can certainly be due to driver error. I would never suggest overlooking those factors. The thing is, though, that people often jump to those conclusions first, and it can blur their vision to other possibilities. Even authorities sometimes fall into this trap if they aren't careful enough in their investigations.

When people just assume someone did something wrong, it only allows important details slip through the cracks. For a grieving family, that's not acceptable. One of the most helpful things for people in these situations is simply having answers. I try to remind people as often as possible that means asking questions they may not typically consider.

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