Dashcam footage from Nov. 5 near Dalhart is central to a wrongful-death suit naming H-E-B, a trucker and two carriers.
HOUSTON, TX — Newly released video shows an 18-wheeler slamming into a slowed Nissan Altima on U.S. 87 just south of Dalhart on Nov. 5, 2025, killing four Houston-area friends. The footage now figures prominently in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the victims’ families against the truck’s driver, two trucking companies and H-E-B.
The crash, captured on a clear afternoon along a wide, straight stretch of highway, has become the clearest public record of what happened moments before impact. Attorneys say the clip undercuts claims that the collision was unavoidable and supports allegations of speeding and inattention. The civil case arrives as the Texas Department of Public Safety continues its investigation, which has not produced criminal charges. The lawsuit seeks monetary relief and court orders to preserve key evidence, adding scrutiny to one of the state’s deadliest highway crashes of late 2025.
According to investigative records and the families’ filings, Lakeisha Brown, 19; Myunique Johnson, 20; Taylor White, 27; and Breanna Brantley, 30, were heading home to the Houston area from Oklahoma when their Altima developed a flat tire on the back left. The driver slowed in the outside southbound lane of U.S. 87, hazard lights on, as at least one other vehicle safely moved left and passed. Seconds later, the tractor-trailer, hauling potatoes toward the same lane, struck the rear of the Altima at highway speed. The car spun into the grassy median and came to rest facing north; the semi toppled onto its right side nearby. All four women were pronounced dead at the scene. “They never had a chance,” said Brantley’s mother, Subrina Williams, who called the video “painful but clear.”
Authorities identified the truck driver as Guadalupe Daniel Villarreal, 39. A crash report notes he “failed to control speed.” Attorneys for the families say the video suggests inattentive driving and argue phone use may have been a factor; they want the device data preserved. Villarreal suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital, according to officials. The women, all belted, had been returning from visiting a grieving friend, relatives said. H-E-B said the driver was working for a third-party vendor at the time and that both the company and contractor are cooperating with investigators. Parkway Transport Inc. and Scrappy Trucking LLC are also named in the suit. Online court records list no criminal charges to date, and DPS has characterized the inquiry as a potential criminally negligent homicide case that remains open. What prompted the truck’s failure to slow remains unknown.
The crash occurred about 10 miles south of Dalhart, in Hartley County, a rural Panhandle crossroads where U.S. 87 runs arrow-straight past farms and feed yards. The midday timing matters, attorneys say, because visibility was high and traffic was light. Diagrams included in the filings depict a 180-degree rotation of the Altima after impact, consistent with rear-end collisions at speed. The lawsuit describes Villarreal as “driving fast” and “inattentively,” language drawn from standard negligence claims in Texas. Relatives of the victims have begun to share funeral programs and remembrances that sketch full lives: Brown, a recent graduate who sang in choir; Johnson, a student; White, remembered as dependable and quick to help; and Brantley, celebrated for her music and laughter. Community memorials in the Houston area followed in November and December.
Legally, the families filed their suit Dec. 23 in Bexar County district court, naming Villarreal, H-E-B, Parkway Transport and Scrappy Trucking. The petition seeks more than $1 million in damages and asks for a temporary restraining order to prevent alteration or disposal of evidence, including the two vehicles, onboard data, test results and the driver’s cellphone. The case is in its early stages, with a jury trial demanded. Any criminal review runs on a separate track led by DPS and local prosecutors; officials have not announced a referral or charging decision. If charges are filed, the timeline would shift to magistrate and arraignment settings before any grand jury presentation. In civil court, initial scheduling orders, written discovery and depositions would follow in the coming weeks.
Families say the video has intensified their grief by removing doubt about the final seconds. “The last thing she told me was, ‘I love you. I’m on my way home,’” Williams said of her daughter’s parting call. Relatives described holidays muted by the empty seats at the table. An attorney for the families said the footage shows another motorist adjusting in time, a point they argue underlines the truck’s obligation to slow or move over. H-E-B, in a statement, called the deaths devastating and emphasized the driver was not its employee. Along U.S. 87 where the wreckage rested, troopers documented long gouge marks in the median and a cab on its side, a quiet stretch that turned into a major scene within minutes.
As of Wednesday, the DPS investigation remains active and no court has set a hearing date in the civil case. Relatives plan additional remembrances in the Houston area while attorneys prepare evidence requests and potential expert reviews of speed, stopping distance and visibility. Any next update from investigators or the court docket is expected later this month.
Author note: Last updated January 7, 2026.