Cooke County, TX — February 18, 2024, Crystal Mendoza was killed and Isaac Rebollar-Gonzalez and Maliki Howard were injured after a car accident on I-35.
Preliminary statements from the Texas Department of Public Safety indicate that the crash happened along southbound lanes of the interstate at around 4:00 a.m. in the Valley View area.
According to officials, 22-year-old Crystal Mendoza and 23-year-old Isaac Rebollar-Gonzalez were in a vehicle going along I-35 when, for reasons unclear, an accident occurred. This left the vehicle disabled along the right lane of travel. Both Mendoza and Rebollar-Gonzalez were outside of the disabled vehicle at the time when another vehicle, driven by 21-year-old Maliki Howard, crashed into the stationary car. In the process, Howard’s vehicle hit both Mendoza and Rebollar-Gonzalez.
Due to the collision, Mendoza, Rebollar-Gonzalez, and Howard were all seriously injured and taken to hospitals in Denton. It appears Mendoza died from her injuries. Right now, additional details about the crash are unavailable.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Authorities say their investigations are ongoing, but what exactly does that look like? Folks tend to assume the police have crack CSI teams out on the scene after crashes like this, but that’s not often how things go. If they were always that thorough, our firm wouldn’t get as many calls as we do on a weekly basis from folks who feel their accident isn’t getting the attention it deserves.
Proper accident reconstructions involve complex questions that rarely come up in the news. Were there mechanical issues involved? Road hazards? Defects of some kind? Was someone over-served by a bar? Did medical conditions play a role? Answering those questions can take experience and equipment that not every department has available. Those that do are able to answer these questions, but those that don’t tend to only look at more obvious possible factors and move on. In other words, without the right tools and training, important information can easily slip through the cracks.
That’s why the people who get the answers they need are the ones who hold authorities to account. Are they asking the right questions? Is there a well-trained, well-equipped accident reconstructionist dedicating time to finding answers? Does the department treat the crash as a low priority? Sometimes, authorities will have answers to those questions that will reassure victims and families that things are under control. Other times, the answers will show there are shortcomings to make up for.
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