Two Killed, Two Children Hurt in Burleson County Crash Near Lyons

What Happened at SH 36 and FM 60?

Two people died and five others were hurt in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of State Highway 36 and FM 60 near Lyons, an unincorporated community in Burleson County between Caldwell and Somerville, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety and reporting by KBTX and KWHI.

DPS Sgt. Justin Ruiz said the crash happened around 2:15 p.m. Sunday, July 19, 2026. A 2014 Kia Optima traveling westbound on FM 60 was stopped at the intersection with SH 36 and attempted to make a left turn without yielding the right-of-way, DPS said, when it was struck by a northbound 2020 Ford F-250 on SH 36.

The driver of the Kia, Clarissa Nunez, 43, of Corpus Christi, and a passenger, Diamantina Martinez, 68, also of Corpus Christi, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to DPS. Two other passengers in the Kia — an eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy — were taken to McLane Children’s Hospital in Temple with suspected serious injuries. The driver of the Ford and two passengers in the truck were taken to St. Joseph Health in Bryan with injuries DPS described as minor. DPS said the investigation is ongoing, and the account above reflects the department’s preliminary findings.

Who Can Be Affected?

A crash like this one raises legal questions for more than one family:

• The family of Diamantina Martinez, the passenger who died — the spouse, children, and parents Texas law recognizes in a wrongful death case, even where the vehicle she was riding in is the one preliminarily found to be at fault
• The two children hospitalized with suspected serious injuries — an eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy, whose medical care and any claim on their behalf will generally be handled by a parent or guardian
• The driver and two passengers in the Ford pickup, hospitalized with injuries described as minor — occupants of a vehicle struck after another car failed to yield commonly have injury claims of their own
• Families anywhere in Texas dealing with a crash at a rural highway intersection where a left turn met oncoming traffic

What Kind of Claim Might Apply?

Attorneys who handle Texas left-turn and failure-to-yield crashes generally describe several paths that can apply once the facts are established:

• Failure to yield when turning left — under Chapter 545 of the Texas Transportation Code, a driver turning left generally must yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic close enough to be an immediate hazard; DPS’s preliminary account describes the Kia failing to yield before the crash, and the investigation remains open.
• A wrongful death and survival claim — under Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, the surviving spouse, children, and parents of a person killed by another’s wrongful act can generally seek compensation for their losses, and the estate can bring a survival claim.
• Injury claims by and for the children — a parent or guardian generally brings a claim on behalf of a minor who is hurt, and under Chapter 16 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Texas law generally pauses the statute of limitations while an injured person is a minor.
• Injury claims for the pickup’s occupants — the driver and passengers hurt in the Ford can generally seek compensation for medical care, lost income, and other losses from whoever the investigation finds responsible.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage — when injuries and losses exceed an at-fault driver’s liability limits, injured people often look to their own auto policy’s UM/UIM coverage under Chapter 1952 of the Texas Insurance Code.
• Deadlines — for most Texas injury and wrongful death claims, Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code sets a two-year statute of limitations, with limited exceptions such as the minors’ tolling rule noted above.

A lawyer can obtain the crash report and DPS’s final findings, identify every insurance policy that may apply — including coverage on both vehicles — and help a family or an injured passenger’s guardian sort out which claims belong to which household.

Why Acting Quickly Can Matter

With five people hurt or killed across two vehicles, a crash like this one can involve several overlapping insurance claims — the Kia’s policy, the Ford’s policy, and any UM/UIM coverage each household carries. DPS’s crash report and the physical evidence at the intersection are often central to sorting out what happened, and insurance companies frequently begin reaching out to the people involved within days. Many families and injured passengers’ guardians choose to have a lawyer request the crash report, identify every policy that may apply, and deal with the insurance companies from the start, so nothing is missed while everyone focuses on recovery.

Sources

1. KBTX — Two killed, five injured in Burleson County crash
2. KWHI — Fatal crash in Lyons kills two, sends five to hospital
3. Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 545 (Operation and Movement of Vehicles)
4. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 71 (Wrongful Death; Survival)
5. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 16 (Limitations)
6. Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 1952 (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage)