Atascosa County, TX — August 31, 2025, Moises Figueroa Castillo was killed in a truck accident at about 10:05 p.m. on State Highway 16 north of Poteet.
A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2021 Toyota Tacoma was heading south near Waxwing Drive when it rear-ended a 2013 Kenworth T680 semi-truck.
Toyota driver Moises Figueroa Castillo, 48, died in the crash, according to the report.
The truck driver was not hurt, the report states.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Atascosa County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear that a pickup rear-ended a semi-truck, they may assume it’s an open-and-shut case. But rear-end collisions involving large trucks are rarely that simple, especially when someone loses their life and authorities release only the bare minimum of information. In this case, we know a Toyota Tacoma hit the back of a Kenworth truck along Highway 16, but beyond that, there are far more unanswered questions than answers.
The key issue here isn’t just that a crash occurred; it’s why it happened. Depending on whether the truck was moving or stopped, different legal and investigative questions arise. For example, was the truck traveling well below the speed limit with no lights or reflective markings? Was it stopped in an active lane of traffic without warning? Or was the pickup driver simply not paying attention? We don’t yet know.
What I do know from litigating cases like this is that truck crashes don’t happen in a vacuum. To get to the bottom of what occurred, someone will need to examine physical evidence and data that can paint a more complete picture. That includes the truck’s engine control module data (basically the vehicle’s “black box”), dash camera footage if available and the driver’s cell phone records. If the truck was stopped or slow-moving, were the hazard lights on? Was it parked legally or illegally? These questions matter; not just for accountability, but for basic truth-finding.
Beyond the crash itself, there’s the matter of the trucking company’s role. Was the driver properly trained? Did the company have reasonable safety procedures in place? In one case I handled, a trucking company hired a driver with multiple terminations on her record and gave her a 20-minute road test as the full extent of their evaluation. That decision proved disastrous. If something similar happened here, the company may have played a bigger role than most would suspect.
At the moment, the investigation appears to be in its early stages, and without more detail, we can’t say who bears legal responsibility. But it’s critical not to assume blame based on vehicle type or crash orientation alone. Only after a thorough review of the evidence can the right conclusions be drawn.
Key Takeaways:
- A rear-end crash involving a semi-truck may seem straightforward, but many critical questions remain unanswered.
- Whether the truck was stopped, moving or poorly marked can drastically affect how fault is assessed.
- Crucial evidence like ECM data, dash cams and driver cell phone records must be reviewed to understand what happened.
- Trucking company hiring and safety practices often play a hidden but significant role in these crashes.
- Accountability should be based on facts, not assumptions. Evidence is what determines the truth.
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