Truck Crash on US 84 in Garza County Kills Willow Park Man

What Happened on US 84?

At about 7:26 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, a pickup and a semi-truck were both traveling northwest on US Highway 84 at its intersection with FM 211 in Garza County — the pickup in the right lane, the semi in the left — when the pickup drifted left into the semi’s lane, according to FOX 34 and San Angelo LIVE. The semi struck the driver’s side of the pickup, and both vehicles traveled into the center median and struck the cable barrier.

The pickup’s driver, 77-year-old Richard Baack of Willow Park, was wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene. The semi’s driver was not injured. Reports describe the pickup’s drift as occurring “for unknown reasons” — investigators have not publicly finalized a cause.

Who Can Be Affected?

• Richard Baack’s family, who may have questions about what happened in the seconds before the crash
• The semi driver and the trucking company that owns and operates the truck
• Any insurer with exposure on either vehicle’s policy

What Kind of Claim Might Apply?

Attorneys who handle Texas commercial-truck fatality cases generally describe several paths that can apply once the facts are established:

• 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, and the estate can bring a survival claim of its own.
• An investigation into the trucking side of the crash — even when an initial account points to the other vehicle, attorneys who handle commercial-truck cases routinely obtain the truck’s electronic control module (“black box”) data, dashcam footage, driver qualification file, and hours-of-service logs required under federal hours-of-service regulations (49 CFR Part 395), to confirm whether the truck driver had the time, speed, or following distance to avoid the collision.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage — a lawyer can review Baack’s own auto policy and any applicable trucking-company policy to identify every source of compensation that may apply.

None of this assumes fault on any driver’s part — it reflects the kind of evidence attorneys typically want preserved and reviewed before conclusions are drawn.

Why Acting Quickly Can Matter

For most Texas wrongful death and injury cases, the statute of limitations is generally two years. Commercial trucking companies and their insurers often move fast to investigate and sometimes to settle; electronic control module data can be overwritten within days or weeks if it is not formally preserved. Many families choose to have a lawyer send a preservation letter and start an independent investigation early, while the vehicles, black box data, and any dashcam footage are still available.

Sources

1. FOX 34 — One killed in crash on US 84 in Garza County
2. San Angelo LIVE — One Killed in Garza County Crash
3. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, 49 CFR Part 395 (Hours of Service)
4. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 71 (Wrongful Death; Survival)
5. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 16 (Limitations)