Basic Facts
Crash date: April 18, 2026
Crash location: State Highway 135 northwest of State Highway 31 in Kilgore, Texas
People involved:
- Anthony Merritt, 21
- Unidentified man, 21
- Unidentified man, 36
Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? unknown
Did authorities recommend criminal charges? unknown
Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? unknown
Accident Report
April 18, 2026, Anthony Merritt lost his life due to a pedestrian versus car accident at about 1:45 a.m. along State Highway 135.
According to authorities, 21-year-old Anthony Merritt and another 21-year-old man were traveling in a northbound Ford F-150 pickup truck on S.H. 135 in the vicinity northwest of State Highway 31 when the accident took place. Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, Merritt ended up falling from the pickup truck’s bed at about 1:25 a.m. Reports state that he was unhurt after the initial accident. It was approximately twenty minutes later that he was apparently struck by a northbound Chevrolet Tahoe.
Merritt reportedly suffered fatal injuries due to the collision. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.
How Did This Accident Occur?
Most people are quick to blame the victim in accidents like this one, where a pedestrian ends up on a highway. I’ve been in this line of business for over thirty years, though. I’ve seen plenty of accidents that appear to have been caused by one thing, only to have evidence of less likely causes be unearthed by the investigation. That is why, as a general rule, I don’t like to jump to conclusions.
To be clear, I don’t know more about this accident than anyone else outside of the investigation. I just want to point out that, hypothetically, something might have gone wrong with the Tahoe to lead to the collision. What if the vehicle suffered brake failure at that critical moment? Maybe the vehicle was dealing with a steering mechanism issue. Did it, perhaps, have a tire blowout? Any number of things could be to blame.
Hopefully investigators—whether the authorities or a third party—get to the bottom of it. After all, the people affected by this accident deserve a clear and detailed understanding as to how and why it occurred. Surface-level investigation just won’t provide that kind of clarity.
Did you happen to be there when this accident occurred? Did you notice any details that did not make it into news reports? Leave a comment below letting me know what you saw.
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