Orange, TX — November 7, 2024, 57-year-old Sonia Lejeune was killed in a three-vehicle accident on State Highway 62 in Orange County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 8:00 a.m. on the 1800 block of Highway 62 near Tulane Road. Preliminary investigation suggests Lejeune was driving a Kia Soul north on the highway when she may have lost control for unknown reasons. The Kia crossed over the center line and collided head-on with two southbound vehicles.
Sonia Lejeune was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two drivers were taken to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is currently available.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
People tend to quickly blame accidents like this one on the person who crossed over the center line, but as always it’s important to withhold judgment until more information is available. A crash caused by driver inattention or fatigue would look the same as one caused by a medical emergency or a vehicle malfunction, but how those are perceived and what might follow would be very different. Think about the GM “ignition switch” defect that caused a lot of crashes a few years ago: How many injured drivers were wrongly blamed before investigators found out a defective car part was responsible?
I’m not saying that a careful investigation would turn up anything but a fairly straightforward explanation, but the possibility that things are more complex can’t be ignored. A woman’s life was lost and two other people were hospitalized, and I think it’s best for everyone affected by their accident to have as many answers as possible. Will authorities take the time and care to make sure they get those?
