Bexar County, TX — July 2, 2024, Jose Cazares Jr. and two others were injured in a car accident shortly after 4:30 p.m. along Southwest 36th Street.
According to authorities, 41-year-old Jose Cazares Jr. was traveling in a westbound Chevrolet Cavalier on Southwest 36th Street at the Southwest 34th Street intersection when the accident took place.
Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, an eastbound Jeep Grand Cherokee occupied by a 41-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl attempted a left turn onto 34th Street at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic. A collision consequently occurred between the front-right quarter of the Jeep and the front-left of the Cavalier.
Cazares 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. The two people from the Jeep suffered minor injuries, as well, according to reports. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Crashes involving left turns across traffic are often labeled quickly—one vehicle failed to yield, the other had the right-of-way. But when someone suffers serious injuries, the question isn’t just who had priority. It’s whether anyone took the time to prove how the crash unfolded.
1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
In this type of T-bone collision, verifying the timing of each vehicle’s movement is key. Did investigators gather enough physical evidence to map out the position, speed, and trajectory of both vehicles? Were measurements taken to establish whether the left-turning Jeep began the maneuver too late—or if something changed after it committed to the turn? Without a full reconstruction, critical questions like those may never be fully answered.
2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
If the Jeep initiated a turn and then slowed unexpectedly, mechanical or electronic issues could have played a role. A problem with acceleration, steering, or driver-assist systems might explain a poorly timed or delayed maneuver. Likewise, the Cavalier’s ability to brake or swerve before impact could have been influenced by its own condition. These factors require careful inspection, and if that didn’t happen, mechanical failure remains an open question.
3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
Both vehicles may contain crash data recorders that capture speed, braking, throttle, and steering input in the seconds leading up to impact. That information can help determine whether the Jeep turned abruptly or hesitated mid-turn—and whether the Cavalier had time to respond. In left-turn crashes, where split-second timing defines fault, this kind of data can be more telling than witness accounts or surface-level damage.
A serious injury doesn’t just raise questions about who entered the intersection—it demands clarity about what both drivers did in the moments that followed. That clarity only comes from asking the right questions early and following the evidence wherever it leads.
Takeaways:
- Timing, speed, and positioning are essential to understanding left-turn crashes and should be reconstructed thoroughly.
- Mechanical or electronic issues in either vehicle could have altered the outcome and must be ruled out through inspection.
- Onboard vehicle data can confirm driver actions and vehicle behavior in the seconds before impact.
