Basic Facts

Crash date: September 13, 2026

Crash location: East Cottonwood Road near Lariat Lane east of Gardendale, TX

People involved:

  • Mindi Lane Harris, 26
  • Unidentified motorcyclist, 39
  • Unidentified Chevrolet driver, 22

Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? Unknown

Did authorities recommend criminal charges? Unknown

Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? Unknown

Accident Report

Ector County, TX — September 13, 2026, Mindi Harris was killed and another person was injured in a car accident at about 12:20 a.m. on East Cottonwood Road near Gardendale.

Authorities said a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro was heading west when it tried to make a U-turn, causing a collision with a 2025 Harley-Davidson FLH motorcycle near Lariat Lane.

A passenger on the motorcycle, 26-year-old Burnet resident Mindi Lane Harris, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities, while the rider, a 39-year-old Gardendale man, was hospitalized with critical injuries.

The Camaro driver, a 22-year-old Midland man, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Ector County crash at this time.

How Did This Accident Occur?

Did the Camaro driver look behind him before he tried a U-turn? Did he signal the move? Did the motorcyclist have enough time to stop or avoid the other vehicle? Did it have a problem with its brakes? Authorities should consider questions like this as they investigate this accident.

Investigators will rely on vehicle data, physical evidence, witness statements and available video footage to reconstruct this crash, while cell phone records could show what the Camaro driver was doing at the time.

If authorities think a mechanical issue contributed to this crash, a qualified expert should examine both vehicles before they are repaired or scrapped.

This investigation should give those affected by this accident with a clear picture of what happened on Cottonwood Road.

Did you witness this accident? Tell me what you saw in the comments.

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