An 18-wheeler driver in Texas fatally struck a Nissan Altima carrying four women, in what a lawsuit describes as distracted driving—likely caused by his cellphone.
Dashcam footage reportedly shows trucker Guadalupe Villarreal rear-ending the Altima on Nov. 5, 2025, while the car traveled in the right lane at a reduced speed due to a flat tire. The victims were Lakeisha Brown, Breanna Brantley, Myunique Johnson, and Taylor White.
The women were driving south on U.S. 87 when Villarreal, employed by Parkway Transport and Scrappy Trucking, approached from behind while hauling a potato load for H-E-B, which wholly owns Parkway. Video captured from a passing vehicle allegedly shows Villarreal violently smashing into the back of the Nissan.
“Villarreal was driving fast, inattentively, and failed to control his speed,” the 26-page complaint states, naming Villarreal and his employers as defendants. “Preliminary evidence shows that Villarreal was distracted and the likely source of that distraction is his mobile phone.”
The families accuse Villarreal of failing to take evasive action and of not controlling his speed, citing “driver inattention” due to a handheld device. It is unclear whether he was texting or talking, and the families’ lawyers have requested a court order to preserve and inspect his phone and other devices.
A Texas Department of Transportation crash report also states Villarreal “failed to control speed.” No criminal charges have been filed.
“The incident and resulting injuries did not immediately take decedents’ lives,” the complaint notes. “Before dying, decedents endured extreme conscious physical pain, suffering, and mental anguish.”
Audio from the passing car’s video captures the moments leading up to and after the crash.
“They’re driving on a flat,” one person says.
“No!” another screams.
“Oh, f—! Call the police, call the police,” a voice shouts.
The families’ lawyers said the video shows Villarreal’s truck was initially a significant distance behind the slowed vehicle. After impact, Johnson’s car was launched across lanes and landed facing north in the median, with the 18-wheeler flipped on its right side in the same median.
“Four young women’s lives have been unimaginably cut short, leaving their families devastated, because these companies and their driver demonstrated brazen disregard for the safety of others,” the families said. “The shocking footage shows this driver failing to control his speed or be aware of his surroundings, resulting in not only the catastrophic loss of life but crushing heartbreak for loved ones.”
The families plan to hold the defendants fully accountable for extreme negligence in an avoidable tragedy, seeking unspecified damages for mental anguish, financial losses, funeral costs, loss of companionship, and more.
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