Corpus Christi, TX — October 23, 2024, 36-year-old Francisco Costilla died and two were injured in an auto accident on Highway 359 in Corpus Christi.
Authorities say the incident happened shortly before 6:30 a.m. along State Highway 359 near County Road 211. Preliminary investigation suggests 19-year-old Andrew Hinojosa was traveling north on the highway in a Ford F-250 pickup when he allegedly failed to maintain his lane. The Ford crossed over the center line and crashed into a southbound Chevy Silverado driven by Francisco Costilla.
Costilla was fatally injured in the collision. Hinojosa and Costilla’s 17-year-old passenger were transported to area hospitals for treatment of unspecified injuries.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Authorities didn’t mention any theories about what may have caused that young man to drive left of center. Clearly that’s an important thing to find out, but I hope that investigators don’t get tunnel vision and look only at ways to blame the person behind the wheel. Could he have just made a mistake, like being too tired to drive or getting distracted by his phone? Sure. Could something else, something harder to see but out of his hands, have sent him off-course instead? Absolutely.
The key to a thorough investigation is keeping an open mind and carefully evaluating all the possible factors, not just the ones that seem most obvious. Could bad weather have played a part? Water or debris on the road surface? What about vehicle malfunctions or defects? A tire blowout? These issues may not be as common as driver errors, but they still cause crashes every day and they shouldn’t be overlooked.
I’m not saying anything unusual absolutely must be involved, only that it’s important to find clear evidence of what happened. An officer’s best guess after a once-over at the scene may not be anything like the conclusion reached after a thorough investigation, and the people affected by the wreck deserve to know they have the whole and true story. Will someone make sure they get it here?
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