Smith County, TX — June 5, 2025, one person was killed and Amber Byars was injured in a car accident at about 9 a.m. on State Highway 110/Van Highway west of Hideaway.
A preliminary accident report indicates that a northbound 2016 Honda HR-V collided with a southbound 2024 Kia Forte north of Interstate 20.
The Honda driver, a 39-year-old woman whose name has not been made public yet, died in the crash, according to the report.
Kia driver Amber Byars, 43, was seriously injured in the crash, the report states, while a 13-year-old girl suffered minor injuries.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Smith County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
After any devastating roadway incident, the natural focus turns to the people affected and the overwhelming grief that follows. But there’s also a quieter, critical need to understand exactly what happened and why, because accountability and clarity are the only ways to prevent the same tragedy from repeating itself.
Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? The collision here involved opposing directions of travel, which raises significant questions about lane discipline, visibility and driver behavior just before impact. To truly understand those elements, a thorough crash scene analysis would have been necessary; something that goes beyond basic photographs and written statements. Laser-based mapping of the crash site, for example, can help investigators reconstruct the vehicles’ paths and determine how each car entered the collision zone. It’s also worth considering how deeply the investigating officers looked into driver actions prior to the crash. Were factors like fatigue, distraction or speed analyzed with the right tools and enough time? The answer often depends on the individual training and resources of the local team, which can vary widely from one agency to another.
Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? Two vehicles from different model years and manufacturers collided under unknown conditions. That’s exactly the kind of scenario where mechanical inspections become critical. Brake failures, steering problems or sensor malfunctions might not leave visible clues at the scene but could tell a very different story under closer scrutiny. It’s unclear whether either vehicle was inspected by a qualified mechanic post-crash, but absent that step, any discussion of fault remains incomplete.
Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern cars often hold more answers than witness statements ever could. Data from on-board systems could show when drivers braked, how fast they were going or whether they veered abruptly just before impact. Even something as simple as GPS history or phone use logs might clarify intent or distraction. The big question is whether authorities pulled those records promptly, and whether anyone is reviewing them with an eye for subtle but telling details.
Digging deep into these questions isn’t about rehashing tragedy. It’s about refusing to settle for partial answers. When lives are lost and others forever changed, only a full, clear picture of what went wrong can begin to make sense of the senseless.
- Not all crash investigations go far enough to explain what really happened.
- Mechanical issues might be invisible without a detailed vehicle inspection.
- Electronic data can reveal the moments leading up to a crash, if anyone looks.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us