Smith County, TX — November 25, 2025, David Lee was injured in a truck accident at about 6:30 p.m. on F.M. 2868 west of Flint.
A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2018 International semi-truck collided with a westbound 2019 Honda CR-V while backing out of a private driveway.
Honda driver David Lee, 85, was seriously injured in the crash, according to the report. The 82-year-old woman riding with him suffered minor injuries.
The truck driver was not hurt, the report states, but his passenger was listed as possibly injured.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Smith County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When most people hear about a crash involving an 18-wheeler backing out of a driveway, their first thought is usually some version of: How can something like that even happen? That’s a fair question, and a legally significant one.
From what’s been reported so far, it appears the crash happened as a semi-truck was backing out of a private driveway onto F.M. 2868, where it collided with a westbound passenger vehicle. That’s not a small mistake. Whether the truck was partially or fully in the road, or whether the approaching vehicle had time to react, are facts that haven’t been made clear yet, but they matter greatly.
Here’s why: Backing a semi-truck onto a public road is one of the most dangerous maneuvers a commercial driver can attempt. Visibility is limited, traffic may be moving at highway speed and the sheer size of the vehicle makes it difficult for others to stop or avoid a collision. Because of that, truckers are trained to avoid this move unless they’ve taken very specific precautions, like using a spotter or verifying that the road is clear before backing up.
But we don’t yet know what precautions, if any, the driver took here. That’s where a proper investigation comes in. A few critical pieces of evidence can go a long way toward showing whether this was a reasonable decision, or a reckless one.
For example:
- Was the truck equipped with a dash camera or rear-facing camera?
- Did the driver have access to a spotter, or was he trying to do it alone?
- What does the truck’s black box (ECM) data show about its speed and movement?
- Did the trucking company allow, or even encourage, this kind of risky maneuver?
And beyond just the moment of the crash, there’s a broader question of whether the driver had a history of risky behavior or poor judgment. I’ve handled cases where companies knowingly put inexperienced or problem drivers behind the wheel. Sometimes, the hiring and training process is so careless that it’s not just the driver who made a bad decision. The company did too when they gave him the keys.
In any crash involving a semi-truck, especially one that involves backing into traffic, the central legal question is whether it could have, and should have, been avoided. The truth doesn’t come out automatically. It has to be pieced together from driver logs, video footage, phone records and company policies. And in my experience, what you find once you start digging is often a lot more troubling than what appears on the surface.
Key Takeaways:
- Backing a semi-truck onto a public road is inherently dangerous and requires strict precautions.
- It’s not clear yet whether the driver used a spotter or had clear visibility when entering the road.
- Evidence like dash cams, black box data and phone records will be essential to determining fault.
- A full investigation should also examine the trucking company’s role in allowing or authorizing the maneuver.
- Accountability depends on facts, not assumptions, which is why gathering the right evidence is essential in a case like this.
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