Washington County, TX — January 31, 2025, Matthew Taing was killed in a truck accident at about 6 a.m. on U.S. Route 290 near Brenham.
Authorities said a 2019 Toyota Camy was hit by a westbound semi-truck after it turned out onto the highway from Berlin Road.
Toyota driver Matthew Taing, 22, died after the crash, according to authorities.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Washington County crash at this time. The accident remains under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a crash involves a vehicle turning onto a highway and being struck by a semi-truck, people often assume the turning driver made a mistake. That may be true, but experience tells me that crashes like this are rarely as simple as they seem. The key question is not just what happened, but why it happened.
One major factor to consider is visibility at the intersection. This crash happened at 6 a.m., which means lighting conditions may have played a role. Was it still dark? Was there fog or glare from the rising sun? Were there any obstructions, like trees, signs or hills, that may have prevented the Toyota driver from seeing the approaching truck? If visibility was poor, that could explain why the driver pulled out when they did.
Another critical issue is the truck’s speed. U.S. 290 is a major highway, and trucks often travel at high speeds. If the semi was going faster than the posted limit or too fast for conditions, then the Toyota driver may have had less time than expected to complete their turn. Investigators should look at the truck’s ECM (black box) data to determine its speed at the time of the crash.
It’s also worth asking whether the intersection itself is designed safely. Some intersections on highways are poorly designed, with limited sight lines or insufficient acceleration lanes for vehicles trying to merge into traffic. If other crashes have happened at this location, that would be a sign that road design may be a contributing factor.
At this point, we don’t have enough details to say who is at fault. But I do know that a proper investigation should go beyond the surface-level assumption that the turning driver was to blame. If investigators don’t take a hard look at visibility, truck speed and roadway design, they may miss key details that explain why this crash happened.
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