Wise County, TX — June 16, 2025, two teens were killed and another was injured in a truck accident at about 6:45 a.m. on U.S. Route 380.
Authorities said a Freightliner semi-truck crashed into a Ford F-150 that was trying to cross the highway from Private Road 4011. The impact forced the truck to jackknife and overturn in the median, while the pickup ended up in the south shoulder.
A 13-year-old boy in the Ford died at the scene of the crash, while the driver, his 16-year-old sister, died after being transported to an area hospital, according to authorities. A third sibling, a 12-year-old girl, was transported to a Fort Worth hospital with unspecified injuries.
The truck driver, Jose Feliz Rodriguez, 33, was treated for minor injuries, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Wise County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear about a crash like this, where a semi-truck collides with a pickup driven by a teenager, they understandably want to know: How could this happen? Was it a matter of visibility? Speed? A misjudgment? Or did something deeper go wrong behind the scenes?
At this point, we know the basics: a Freightliner 18-wheeler hit a Ford F-150 as it crossed U.S. Route 380 from a private road. The force of the impact jackknifed the semi and flipped it into the median. Two siblings in the pickup were killed, and a third was injured. The truck driver had only minor injuries. But none of that tells us why this happened.
And that’s the first unanswered question: why. Was the pickup attempting an unsafe crossing? Was the semi speeding or distracted? Depending on whether the truck had the right-of-way or not, very different legal and factual questions come into play. But we can’t start to answer any of them without a real investigation that goes well beyond the crash scene.
One place to begin is with the truck’s data systems. Many modern semis have engine control modules (ECMs), which are like the black boxes on airplanes. They can show speed, braking, gear shifts and throttle use in the moments before a crash. If the truck had dash cameras or in-cab video, that footage could help confirm whether the driver was alert and maintaining proper lane position. Cell phone records may tell us whether the driver was distracted.
And beyond the individual driver, there’s the company that put him behind the wheel. What kind of training did he receive? How thoroughly was his background checked? I’ve handled cases where drivers had been repeatedly fired for dangerous conduct, yet were hired anyway after nothing more than a 20-minute road test. If that’s what happened here, the fault may not lie with the driver alone, but with a company that chose to cut corners on safety.
It’s also worth asking what role the design of that intersection might have played. Private roads that connect to highways often present visibility challenges, especially at dawn. If there’s a blind curve, poor signage or no traffic signal, even a careful driver can misjudge a crossing. But again, without clear information on sightlines, traffic patterns, and the timing of vehicle movements, we’re left guessing.
To get the full picture, someone needs to gather every available piece of evidence — from data logs to phone records to driver logs to hiring paperwork — and analyze how they fit together. That’s how you get to the truth. Not just who was physically at fault, but whether any party, through policy or neglect, contributed to making this crash possible.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear whether the semi-truck or the pickup had the right-of-way at the time of the crash.
- Crucial evidence such as ECM data, dash cam footage and cell phone records can clarify how the crash occurred.
- Trucking company policies and hiring practices may bear scrutiny if the driver was inadequately vetted or trained.
- Visibility conditions and road design at the highway crossing may have played a role.
- A thorough investigation is essential to determine who, if anyone, should be held accountable.
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