Leshonda Shepherd Killed in Flint Car Accident
Five people died after a southbound vehicle crossed the center line on State Highway 155
Leshonda Shepherd, 41, of Crockett, was killed in a head-on crash on State Highway 155 near Farm-to-Market Road 344 in Flint on July 9, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
A southbound white Toyota Highlander crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and struck a northbound white Cadillac SUV, investigators said. The impact caused heavy damage to both vehicles and closed the highway for several hours. Shepherd was a passenger in the Cadillac and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Cadillac, another adult passenger, and a 4-year-old child also died from injuries suffered in the collision.
The driver of the Highlander died at the crash site.
The crash remains under investigation.
No further details regarding toxicology or the exact cause of the lane departure have been released by authorities.
Why did the Highlander cross the center line on Highway 155?
While authorities continue to investigate what caused the southbound vehicle to veer into oncoming traffic, crash reconstructionists will examine factors such as driver fatigue, distraction, or potential medical emergencies.
Head-on collisions often require extensive analysis of tire marks, steering input, and electronic data recorders to determine the exact sequence of events leading up to the impact.
Candice Bond, managing partner at Bond Legal, said, "Evidence preservation becomes urgent within hours of a catastrophic head-on collision, since skid marks fade, debris gets cleared, and surveillance footage often overwrites within just a few days. Event data recorders, traffic camera archives, and cellphone records require prompt requests before deletion policies erase critical information permanently and without notice."
"A legal team moves quickly to secure footage, download vehicle data, and photograph roadway conditions," added Bond, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News.
Head-on crashes create devastating physical forces. According to recent NHTSA crash data, when a smaller passenger car and a larger light truck collide head-on, occupants in the car are nearly 3 times more likely to be killed.
Texas wrongful death statute
Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.001, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. Texas applies modified comparative fault (51% bar). The statute of limitations is 2 years.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship and consortium, funeral expenses, and mental anguish.
"Insurance companies sometimes offer quick settlements before the full extent of damages becomes clear to grieving families still processing sudden loss. A legal team reviews every offer carefully, preventing premature acceptance and protecting compensation from being permanently forfeited or undervalued," noted Stefano Formica, a national legal analyst for Accident News and of counsel at Bond Legal.