Juan Hernandez Balderas, April Burkhalter, Teen Killed in Car Accident near Dayton, TX

Basic Facts

Crash date: April 1, 2026

Crash location: Grand Parkway near John Damek Road in Liberty County, TX

People involved:

• Juan Hernandez Balderas, 44
• Unidentified Lincoln driver, 17
• April Burkhalter, 39
• James Matlock II, 33
• Unidentified F-250 passengers

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

Liberty County, TX — April 1, 2026, Juan Hernandez Balderas, April Burkhalter and a teen were killed in a car accident at about 9 p.m. on Grand Parkway/State Highway 99 near Dayton.

Authorities said a southbound Ford F-150 allegedly sideswiped a northbound Ford F-250 near John Damek Road/Count Road 603, then crashed head-on into a northbound Lincoln SUV.

F-150 driver Juan Hernandez Balderas, 44, and both people in the Lincoln — the 17-year-old driver and his mother, 39-year-old April Burkhalter — died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to authorities.

F-250 driver James Matlock II and four passengers were not hurt, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Lincoln County crash at this time.

How Did This Accident Occur?

Police contend the Ford F-150 caused this crash, sideswiping one vehicle before hitting another head-on, but what does the evidence say? Investigators likely are examining the scene, witness statements, data from the vehicles and any available video to reconstruct how this accident unfolded. Their efforts may show that the southbound pickup did, in fact, collide with the other vehicles, or one of the other vehicles caused this crash. Either way, they also need to figure out why this crash happened.

Was one of the drivers distracted or fatigued? Did one swerve because there was an object in the road? Did one of the vehicles have an issue that affected its steering mechanism?

These questions must be answered so the families that are grieving after this crash can know what happened on Grand Parkway, even if that means finding a qualified expert to review the vehicles for mechanical problems before they are repaired or scrapped.

What do you think happened here?