Nueces County, TX — May 2, 2024, Colson Swartz was injured due to a truck accident just before 5:00 p.m. along State Highway 358.
According to authorities, 22-year-old Colson Swartz was traveling in an westbound Dodge Ram pickup truck on S.H. 358 in the vicinity east of Greenwood Drive when the accident took place.
Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a Peterbilt truck with a trailer in tow somehow became disabled in the active lanes of the highway. A collision subsequently occurred between the back-right of the Peterbilt’s trailer and the front-left of the pickup truck. Following the initial impact, the pickup truck entered another lane of the highway where its left side was struck by the front-end of a westbound GMC Denali. The pickup then went into a spin and was involved in a tertiary collision with another westbound Dodge pickup.
Swartz reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. He was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a large commercial truck becomes disabled in the active lanes of a high-speed highway—and another vehicle collides with it—the focus turns immediately to whether that truck’s presence was avoidable, and whether it was properly protected once it came to a stop. Highways like State Highway 358 aren’t designed for stationary obstacles, and the law is clear: if a commercial vehicle breaks down in a live lane, the driver must take immediate steps to prevent secondary collisions.
Based on the available information, the Peterbilt truck in this incident somehow came to a stop in an active westbound lane, and no indication has been given that it had moved off to the shoulder or that hazard warnings were deployed before the initial impact. That’s a major concern. Under federal regulations, commercial drivers are required to activate hazard flashers immediately upon becoming disabled, and within 10 minutes must deploy reflective warning triangles at prescribed distances behind the vehicle. If that didn’t happen—or didn’t happen in time—then the truck was essentially a hidden hazard in fast-moving traffic.
The initial impact with the trailer triggered a chain reaction involving multiple other vehicles. That tells us the pickup driver didn’t have enough time to avoid the truck, and neither did the vehicles behind. The sequence of collisions raises the question of how visible the trailer was, and whether surrounding drivers had any warning at all. In my experience, even when a truck is legally stopped, inadequate lighting, poor lane placement, or failure to deploy warning devices often play a critical role in these crashes.
Investigators should examine dash cam footage, if available, and look at ECM data to understand how fast each vehicle was going and whether any evasive actions were attempted. They should also review the Peterbilt’s mechanical condition. If it became disabled due to a preventable mechanical failure—like a tire blowout, brake failure, or overheating—then the trucking company’s maintenance and inspection practices may be a key part of the story.
The legal responsibility here will likely hinge on whether the truck was properly maintained, whether the driver followed proper emergency procedures, and whether the vehicle was visible and safely positioned in time for other motorists to react. These aren’t theoretical questions—they’re issues that can be answered through evidence, if anyone takes the time to look for it.
Key Takeaways:
- A commercial vehicle stopped in a live lane must deploy emergency warnings under federal law; failure to do so may establish liability.
- The chain reaction suggests drivers didn’t have enough time or space to react, raising concerns about visibility and hazard signaling.
- Investigators should examine why the Peterbilt became disabled and whether the cause traces back to preventable mechanical issues.
- Dash cam footage and ECM data will be essential for reconstructing vehicle movements and timing.
- The crash may involve both equipment failure and driver error, depending on how the truck’s presence in the roadway was handled.
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