Johnny Ferguson Injured in Truck Accident on FM 546 in Collin County, TX
UPDATE (February 15, 2023): The truck driver injured in this crash has been identified as Johnny Ferguson.
Collin County, TX — January 12, 2023, a 31-year-old truck driver was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash on FM 546 in Collin County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 5:20 p.m. on Farm to Market road 546 near County Road 394. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was driving an International bucket truck with an attached trailer south on the roadway when he allegedly entered a curve at too high a speed. The truck veered off the road and its trailer jackknifed; the truck passed through the bar ditch and hit street signs, fence posts, and the tree line. It came to rest near the trees with its jackknifed trailer still attached.
The driver sustained serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital. Investigators suspected alcohol consumption may have played a part in the accident.
No further information is currently available.
Over the years I've seen people lose control of their vehicles for many different reasons—some within their control, others entirely out of it. What I encounter over and over afterward, though, is people quickly blaming the driver without waiting to see what the evidence says. Jumping to such hasty conclusions is unfair and typically does more harm than good, and as always it's best to investigate carefully and only let facts tell the final tale.
Even if the facts eventually show that operator error caused this crash, there could still be more to the story than people realize. For instance, in situations where alcohol is a suspected factor it's often learned (if anyone bothers to check) that the driver was illegally over-served by a local vendor beforehand. If that happened in Collin County, whoever poured the victim's drinks may be partly responsible for his injuries after he left and crashed.
I'm not trying to argue with police or suggest I know more than public reports have said. I just know that many accidents are quickly attributed to one thing or another when they're actually more complex. That's why it's important to keep an open mind and learn the whole story, which I hope is exactly what authorities plan to do here.
