Families of four young Houston-area women killed in a devastating collision with an 18-wheeler in the Texas Panhandle have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit, bringing renewed scrutiny to a tragedy that has shaken communities and raised questions about commercial trucking safety.
On Nov. 5, 2025, four friends were traveling south on U.S. Highway 87, about ten miles south of Dalhart, when their Nissan Altima slowed down due to a flat tire and activated its hazard lights. Moments later, an 18-wheeler hauling goods for grocery chain H-E-B rear-ended the vehicle with devastating force, killing all four occupants. (Houston Chronicle)
The women have been identified as Lakeisha Brown (19), Myunique Johnson (20), Taylor White (27), and Breanna Brantley (30) — all from the Houston area. They were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. (Houston Chronicle)
According to the wrongful-death lawsuit filed Dec. 23, 2025, in Bexar County District Court, the crash was not a simple accident but the result of negligence by the driver and multiple companies responsible for the truck’s operation. The suit names H-E-B, Parkway Transit Inc., Scrappy Trucking LLC, and driver Guadalupe Daniel Villarreal as defendants. (KPRC)
Allegations of Speeding and Distraction
Attorneys for the families contend that Villarreal was speeding, inattentive, and failed to control his vehicle’s speed before the collision. They further allege the trucking companies were negligent in hiring, training, supervising, and maintaining the driver and the truck. (KPRC)
The lawsuit also seeks a court order to preserve critical evidence, including the truck, the driver’s phone, and electronic data such as dashcam footage, to determine whether distraction — possibly from a mobile device — contributed to the tragedy. (KPRC)
H-E-B Responds, Investigation Continues
In a statement to media, H-E-B said it is “devastated by this tragic accident” and emphasized that the driver was employed by a third-party vendor, not a direct H-E-B partner, and that the company is cooperating with authorities. (KPRC)
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s crash report notes the 18-wheeler “failed to control speed,” a key detail in ongoing investigations into the cause of the collision. (KTTZ)
Community Mourning and Legal Battle Ahead
Family members and attorneys describe the lawsuit as an effort to obtain answers and accountability, saying the young women’s lives were cut tragically short in a collision they had no control over. The legal action seeks more than $1 million in damages, though no amount of money can restore the lives lost.
This case is likely to draw continued attention as it moves toward trial, highlighting broader concerns about highway safety and the responsibilities of companies that rely on heavy commercial vehicles to transport goods across the state.
