Brazos County recorded 14 traffic deaths in 2025, and a small share of its roads accounts for most of the serious harm. For families who lose someone, a personal injury lawyer in Bryan, TX can explain who may be legally responsible and how much time remains to act.
Brian C. Gutierrez has represented injured people and grieving families in Bryan and College Station since 2006. A board-certified personal injury trial lawyer, he has tried cases before juries in every county and district court in Brazos County. This article pulls together public crash data and the Texas rules that apply after a fatal crash.
Texas law makes a person liable for a death caused by their wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness or default, or by that of their employee or agent, as set out in Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71. That is the legal basis for a wrongful death claim, and it can reach drivers, trucking companies and other responsible parties.
How Many People Die on Texas and Brazos County Roads?
Texas recorded 3,769 traffic deaths in 2025, a 9.38% decrease from 4,159 in 2024, and 17,420 people suffered a serious injury, according to the TxDOT 2025 Crash Facts report. The decline is real, yet it still averages more than ten deaths a day statewide.
Key figures from 2025:
- Texas: 3,769 people killed, with 17,420 seriously injured.
- Pedestrians: 695 killed statewide, down 10.09%.
- Pedalcyclists: 91 killed statewide, up 13.75%.
- Brazos County: 14 people killed in 13 fatal crashes, plus 128 suspected serious injuries.
Brazos County's numbers come from TxDOT's 2025 county crash table, which reflects crash reports processed as of April 7, 2026, and was retrieved October 15, 2026. TxDOT's county report lists the county alongside every other Texas county. Late reports can shift these totals slightly.
| Area | Fatal Crashes | People Killed |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 3,476 | 3,769 |
| Brazos County | 13 | 14 |
Where Brazos County Fatal and Serious Crashes Concentrate
Just 11% of Brazos County roadways account for 71% of fatal or serious crashes and more than 80% of pedestrian or bicycle crashes, according to the Bryan-College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), as reported by KBTX in April 2025.
The MPO's county review of 2017 through 2022 counted more than 20,000 crashes, 101 of them fatal and 524 causing severe injuries. Pedestrians were involved in 1% of crashes, but 13% of fatal crashes, and 52% of fatal crashes happened in dark or underlit conditions, per WTAW's report on the MPO's January 2026 presentation.
University Drive near the Texas A&M campus is the corridor the MPO has pointed to most directly. Its intersection with South College Avenue ranks among the most crash-prone spots for people on foot and on bikes, and MPO leaders say many of these crashes occur around dawn or dusk.
Pedestrian and Cyclist Deaths Near Texas A&M
Pedestrian and cyclist deaths moved in opposite directions across Texas in 2025. Pedestrian fatalities fell 10.09% to 695, while pedalcyclist fatalities rose 13.75% to 91, based on TxDOT's statewide totals.
Liability for a pedestrian or cyclist killed near campus or elsewhere in College Station depends on what caused the crash. Parties who may share responsibility include:
- A driver who sped, drove distracted or impaired, or failed to yield at a crosswalk or bike lane
- A scooter or e-bike rider whose negligence caused the collision
- A property owner or business whose driveway, lighting, or upkeep created a hazard
- A city or other public entity, where a roadway defect or signal failure contributed
Fault is shared under Texas's proportionate responsibility rules, and a decedent found more than 50% responsible bars recovery under Chapter 33, so evidence on speed, visibility, and signals matters. Claims against public entities generally require notice within six months and carry damage caps under Chapter 101. Learn more about pedestrian accident and bicycle accident claims.
Commercial Trucks on Highway 6 and Highway 21
A fatal crash involving a commercial truck on Highway 6 or Highway 21 can involve several responsible parties: the driver, the motor carrier that employs or dispatches the driver, the company that loaded the cargo, and the shop that maintained the truck. Each may carry its own insurance.
TxDOT's 2025 commercial vehicle report lists 169 crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in Brazos County, one of them fatal, along with 10 crashes causing suspected serious injuries, in its CMV county table.
Evidence in trucking cases can vanish quickly. Driver logs, electronic data, and maintenance records may be overwritten or discarded, and a lawyer can send the carrier a preservation letter early. The firm's truck accident lawyer in Bryan, TX page covers federal hours-of-service rules and how these cases are built.
What a Wrongful Death Claim Looks Like After a Fatal Crash
A wrongful death claim lets the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the person who died seek compensation from those responsible. If none of them files within three months, the executor of the estate must bring the claim unless every eligible family member asks otherwise, per Chapter 71.
Damages can include lost income and financial support, lost inheritance, loss of companionship and society, and mental anguish. The estate may separately pursue the person's own medical and funeral expenses through a survival claim, and exemplary damages may be available when gross negligence or a willful act caused the death.
Texas gives families two years from the date of death to file under Section 16.003, and missing that deadline can end the case. A wrongful death lawyer in Bryan, TX can review the facts and explain which claims apply.
How to Pull Your Own Crash Report and Local Data
Families can gather their own records using three public tools. Start here:
- Buy the CR-3 crash report: TxDOT sells the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report through its Crash Report Online Purchase System, and reports are emailed after purchase. They are not available for public viewing online.
- Run a CRIS Query: TxDOT's CRIS Query tool lets the public search crash data, for example, by selecting Brazos County and the "killed" injury severity.
- Review the MPO's safety work: The Bryan-College Station MPO's safety presentation summarizes county crash patterns and its Vision Zero goal of zero deaths or serious injuries by 2035.
A CR-3 typically records contributing factors, witnesses, and insurance details. Reports can contain errors, so a lawyer will compare it against scene evidence, photographs, and other records before relying on it.
Talk With a Bryan Wrongful Death Lawyer After a Fatal Crash
Brian C. Gutierrez is a solo practitioner, so families work directly with him rather than a rotating team. He holds board certification in personal injury trial law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by fewer than 2% of Texas attorneys, and has practiced in Brazos County since 2006.
To discuss a fatal crash involving a pedestrian, cyclist, or commercial truck, contact Brian for a free consultation.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Sources
- TxDOT, 2025 Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts
- TxDOT, Crashes and Injuries by County 2025
- KBTX, Crash hotspots in Bryan-College Station prompt safety initiatives from MPO, TxDOT
- Bryan-College Station MPO, Chamber Economic Outlook Conference presentation
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 71
