Basic Facts
Crash date: May 13, 2026
Crash location: State Highway 35 and Private Road 820 north of El Maton, TX
People involved:
- Nicholas Bueno, 25
- Unidentified Subaru driver, 36
Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? Yes
Did authorities recommend criminal charges? Unknown
Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? Unknown
Accident Report
Matagorda County, TX — May 13, 2026, Nicholas Bueno was killed in a suspected drunk driver accident at about 12:30 p.m. on State Highway 35 near El Maton.
A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2020 Subaru Ascent was headed east in the wrong lane when it collided head-on with a 2020 Ford Explorer near Private Road 820.
Ford driver Nicholas Bueno, 25, died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to the report.
The Subaru driver, who also died in the crash, allegedly was intoxicated at the time, the report states.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Matagorda County crash at this time.
How Did This Accident Occur?
Authorities should investigate this accident like any other fatal crash, going over vehicle data, witness statements and physical evidence to reconstruct how these vehicles came together on State Highway 35. But investigators should go a step further if blood tests confirm the Subaru driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash. They should look into where she had been drinking before she got behind the wheel.
That matters because alcohol providers can be held liable for injuries caused by their patrons under Texas law, meaning if she had been served at a bar or restaurant while obviously intoxicated that establishment could share responsibility for the crash.
Many state law enforcement agencies don’t take such steps in investigating alcohol-related crashes, in my experience, but the Ford driver’s family deserves to know everyone who may have played a role in this accident.
Do you know anything that could help with this investigation? Let me know in the comment section.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us