Van Zandt County, TX — September 24, 2024, 72-year-old Diana Simons was injured in a single-vehicle accident on State Highway 64 in Van Zandt County.
According to authorities, the incident happened around 11:45 a.m. on Highway 64 near County Road 4106. Investigators say Diana Simons was driving a Kia Soul west on the highway when she may have lost control for unknown reasons. The vehicle swerved off the road into the north ditch, then hit a mailbox and a tree before coming to rest.
Diana Simons was seriously injured in the crash. No other vehicles or people were involved.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Police seemingly put together a rough sketch of what happened along the highway, but it doesn’t seem like their investigators really got to the bottom of how or why the crash occurred. I hope they didn’t just settle for a “good enough” report and move on, as I’ve seen firsthand how important clear answers can be for someone in the uncertain times following an auto accident.
Having said that, though, I have concerns about just how much attention a single-vehicle wreck like this is likely to get. Without a clear cause, people tend to just assume the driver made a mistake and hand-wave the matter away; even police reports typically say something like “failed to maintain a single lane” as though that’s a cause and not an effect. There are plenty of reasons a vehicle might go off-course without the driver doing anything wrong at all. Did anyone check whether the Kia blew a tire, or had a mechanical failure? What if it was defective? Do investigators have the time, resources, and know-how for a forensic examination?
I’m not suggesting this accident has to be more complex than it first seems; I just know from years in this field that many crashes aren’t as simple as preliminary reports make them sound. The injured victim deserves to know her crash was taken seriously and investigated carefully. Will authorities give her that reassurance?
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