UPDATE (August 7, 2025): Texas DPS officials report that the truck driver involved in the accident was arrested and reportedly faces five counts of manslaughter.
Burnet County, TX — July 25, 2025, Thalia Salinas, Ruby Cruz, Brianna Valadez, Desiree Cervantez, and Jacqueline Velazco were killed in a truck accident on US 281.
Texas DPS officials say that the accident took place between Burnet and Marble Falls, northwest of Austin near Park Road 4.
According to officials, Thalia Salinas, Ruby Cruz, Brianna Valadez, Desi Cervantez, and Jackie Velazco were traveling along US Highway 281 for a birthday trip. While doing so, it appears that a truck with a livestock trailer was going northbound when it somehow lost control. The truck went left of center, crashing into the women’s vehicle as well as multiple other vehicles.
Due to the crash, Thalia Salinas, Ruby Cruz, Brianna Valadez, Desi Cervantez, and Jackie Velazco were killed. Others were reportedly injured. At this time, no charges have been reported. Additional details are unavailable.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
There are far more questions than answers right now, and I have to wonder if authorities will be up to the task of getting the victims’ loved ones the answers they deserve. Obviously, there will be consideration for things like distracted driving, driving while fatigued, and driving while intoxicated. However, the concern is whether or not authorities are going to look into less common possible factors and whether they’ll consider if any outside parties contributed to this crash, as well.
Has the truck been inspected for defects? Did it lose control due to tire failure? Could that possible tire failure be a freak occurrence or rather the result of neglected maintenance? Was the truck driver working at the time? How long had they been behind the wheel? Did the truck have any known mechanical issues? Was the trailer not properly secured, causing it to pull the truck out of its lane? Did the truck driver hit something in the road? Were they trying to pass another slower vehicle?
These are all questions I would generally expect independent accident reconstructionists to answer, but they’re often the sorts of questions authorities overlook. I’ve handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases, and simply put authorities don’t always have the time, tools, or expertise to really get a complete picture. This can obviously leave families with doubts and concerns, which is why they often reasonably turn to independent investigators to fill in the blanks.
Ultimately, evidence could show this all was due to ordinary negligence from a single individual. Maybe this was the foreseeable result of a workplace that wasn’t enforcing safe driving practices. Or, this could all simply be the result of unavoidable, unforeseeable circumstances. At the end of the day, there are families that deserve to know the truth. If authorities can’t guarantee a complete accounting of the facts, then the investigations need to be in the hands of professionals who can.
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