Randall County, TX — August 23, 2024, Lucy Galan and another person were injured due to a car accident just before 9:15 a.m. along Canyon Drive.
According to authorities, 61-year-old Lucy Galan was traveling in a a northbound Chevrolet Traverse on Canyon Drive at the vicinity southwest of the Criss Street intersection when the accident took place.
Officials indicate that, apparently due to the fact that the driver was attempting to evade police, an allegedly stolen box van turn left to head southbound in the northbound lanes of Canyon Drive. A collision consequently took place between the front-left of the box van and the front-left quarter of the Traverse.
The 25-year-old man who had been behind the wheel of the box van suffered only minor injuries and attempted to flee the scene on foot. Galan reportedly sustained serious injuries due to the wreck, as well, and was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment.
The man who fled was eventually located, according to reports. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When someone is seriously hurt because another driver was attempting to flee from law enforcement, it’s not enough to say the crash happened during a pursuit. The real issue is whether all the factors that led to the collision—not just the chase—have been fully understood and addressed.
1. Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash?
Given that the box van was allegedly stolen and driving the wrong way, it’s easy to frame the incident strictly as a criminal act. But did investigators document the exact sequence of movements—how the van entered the oncoming lanes, at what speed, and whether the Traverse had any opportunity to react or avoid the crash? Even in cases involving fleeing suspects, reconstruction matters. And when the victim suffers serious injuries, the level of detail in the report should match the severity of the outcome.
2. Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash?
Even in a stolen vehicle, the condition of that vehicle can’t be dismissed. Was there a steering or brake failure that limited the suspect’s ability to control the van? Could the Traverse have had stability issues or delayed braking that contributed to the severity of the impact? While the criminal element is the focus of law enforcement, civil liability still depends on understanding whether mechanical failure played a role—especially if it worsened the crash.
3. Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?
The Traverse almost certainly holds crucial data—vehicle speed, braking, steering input, and throttle use leading up to the crash. That data could help establish whether Galan attempted to avoid the van or was caught without time to react. Likewise, any data from the box van—if recoverable—might confirm its speed and path. This is especially important in understanding whether this was simply unavoidable or if critical seconds were lost before the crash.
Criminal behavior may have started the chain of events, but when a law-abiding driver ends up in the hospital, the investigation should be just as focused on getting the facts right—not just the charges filed.
Takeaways:
- Crashes during police evasion must still be reconstructed to determine full crash dynamics.
- Mechanical failures in either vehicle could have contributed to the severity of the collision.
- Vehicle data, especially from the victim’s car, may show whether any evasive action was possible.
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