Penitas, TX — December 16, 2024, Brisa Leal was injured in a car accident at about 3 a.m. on U.S. Route 83 Business near Interstate 2.
A preliminary accident report indicates a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse was headed east when it veered off the road and crashed into a fixed object.
Driver Brisa Leal, 21, suffered serious injuries in the crash, according to authorities.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Hidalgo County crash.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a vehicle veers off the road and strikes a fixed object, especially in the early morning hours, the assumption is often that the driver simply made a mistake. But single-vehicle crashes deserve just as much scrutiny as multi-vehicle ones, sometimes even more. To fully understand what happened here, three key questions must be asked: Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Has anyone considered whether a vehicle defect could have played a role? And has all the electronic data related to the crash been collected?
The first step in a meaningful investigation is to examine all the conditions surrounding the crash. What were the lighting and weather conditions at 3 a.m.? Was the road surface dry, wet or damaged? Were there signs of sudden steering or braking? Did the driver take evasive action to avoid something in the roadway? These questions require more than just a police report: they demand a crash reconstruction that looks at every element of the environment and vehicle behavior. And the reality is, not all agencies are equipped or resourced to conduct that level of investigation, especially in single-vehicle incidents where no one else was injured.
Next, it’s vital to consider whether a vehicle defect may have contributed. The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse, while not especially old, could still experience issues that affect handling or performance, like steering failure, electronic throttle problems or faulty suspension components. A tire blowout or sudden engine stall could also cause the vehicle to leave the roadway unexpectedly. These are possibilities that often go unexplored unless the vehicle is preserved and inspected by professionals trained to identify signs of mechanical or electronic failure. Unfortunately, vehicles in these kinds of crashes are frequently repaired or scrapped before that inspection can happen.
Finally, the role of electronic data can’t be overstated. The Traverse’s engine control module likely captured crucial data in the seconds leading up to the crash: vehicle speed, throttle position, braking input and possibly even whether the driver was wearing a seatbelt. That information can help reconstruct the vehicle’s behavior and determine whether it responded properly to the driver’s inputs. If the vehicle was equipped with advanced safety features, it’s also worth looking into whether they activated and, if not, why. Additional evidence, such as nearby surveillance footage or cell phone data, may also offer insight into what led up to the incident.
When someone is seriously injured in a crash like this, it’s not enough to assume they simply lost control. A proper investigation must take into account every possible cause — environmental, mechanical and electronic — before drawing any conclusions. Only by answering those three essential questions can the people affected begin to understand what really happened.
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