Quick Answer
- TxDOT recorded 915 crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in Midland and Ector counties in 2025. That was 10.3% of the two counties’ 8,880 reported crashes.
- Across all vehicle types, 87 of the 8,880 crashes were fatal, and 220 were classified as suspected serious-injury crashes.
- Texas generally gives you two years to file an injury lawsuit after a wreck. Get medical care and preserve evidence promptly; the filing deadline does not tell you how long a video or dispatch record will be available.
Key Takeaways
- TxDOT’s county totals include crashes on public roads throughout each county. They do not isolate I-20, Midland or Odessa city limits, or oilfield trips.
- TxDOT counts crashes separately from people killed or injured. A single collision can injure several people.
- For an individual truck crash, the time, direction of travel, ramp or driveway, and company operating the truck matter more than the regional crash totals.
If you were hurt in a Midland-Odessa truck crash, Ryan Orsatti Law can review the crash report and help identify what other records may show how the wreck happened.
How many Midland-Odessa truck crashes did TxDOT record in 2025?
TxDOT recorded 536 commercial motor vehicle crashes in Midland County and 379 in Ector County. The agency’s commercial motor vehicle category is broader than oilfield trucks. The county tables do not identify how many of the vehicles were making an oilfield run.
| Area | All crashes | Fatal crashes | Suspected serious-injury crashes | Commercial vehicle crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland County | 4,211 | 44 | 125 | 536 |
| Ector County | 4,669 | 43 | 95 | 379 |
| Two counties | 8,880 | 87 | 220 | 915 |
The combined figures come from adding the two county rows. Commercial vehicles were involved in 915 ÷ 8,880 × 100 = 10.3% of reported crashes, rounded to one decimal place. The two counties had 87 + 220 = 307 fatal or suspected serious-injury crashes across all vehicle types. The fatal share was 87 ÷ 8,880 × 1,000 = 9.8 fatal crashes per 1,000 reported crashes, rounded to one decimal place.
TxDOT’s commercial vehicle table also reports 11 fatal and 15 suspected serious-injury crashes in Midland County, and 9 fatal and 11 suspected serious-injury crashes in Ector County. Together, that is 11 + 15 + 9 + 11 = 46 commercial vehicle crashes in those two severity categories. The 307 figure in the all-crash table covers every vehicle type.
Both annual tables use reportable crashes from police reports that TxDOT processed as of April 7, 2026. The figures describe the crashes in those reports. They do not tell you the chance of a crash on any one trip. To compare risk between roads, you would also need a measure of how much traffic used each road.
What can the county data tell you about an I-20 truck wreck?
The two county tables give local context for an I-20 truck wreck. They cannot show whether the crash happened on the interstate, an exit ramp, a frontage road, or a private driveway. TxDOT’s Basin 20 project materials identify the I-20 corridor through Odessa and Midland, including frontage roads in both counties. The annual crash tables cover a wider area.
That distinction matters if a work truck turned across your lane or pulled out from a driveway. A wreck on the main lanes may have a different view of approaching traffic than a wreck on a frontage road. Two people can accurately say “by FM 1788” and still be describing different approaches to the interchange. Record the direction of travel, the road you were actually on, and the closest ramp, cross street, or driveway.
Attorney Insight: Start with the seconds before impact. Suppose a company says its driver was already in the lane when you arrived. A photo of the damage may help, but it does not show when the truck entered your lane. Ask where a camera could have seen the whole turn, where each witness was standing, and what blocked the view. Those details let you test both versions of the wreck.
What should you save after a Midland-Odessa truck crash?
Start with medical care, then save the details that help identify the exact spot and the company operating the truck. You do not have to collect everything yourself. A family member can write down the location and witness names while you get care.
- Get help first. If anyone is hurt or in danger, call 911. Stay out of traffic and follow instructions from responders. Tell the medical team what happened and what you are feeling. Keep your discharge papers and follow-up instructions.
- Write down where you were. Save a map pin if you can do so safely. Add your direction, lane, nearest ramp or driveway, and which way the truck was moving. Keep original photos and videos, even if you also send copies to someone.
- Identify the truck and trailer separately. Save photos of any names, plate numbers, unit numbers, and visible USDOT numbers. Write down where each name appeared. A name on the trailer may be different from the name on the cab. Either can help locate records.
- Find the people and cameras that saw the approach. Keep witness names and contact information. Note nearby businesses, gates, or vehicles that may have had a view. Save your own dashcam clip promptly so routine recording does not overwrite it.
- Get the crash report and check the details. Ask the responding agency for the report number. TxDOT offers the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, called the CR-3, through its online purchase system. Compare the reported location, vehicle information, narrative, and diagram with your photos and notes.
- Make a record of the impact on your day. Save bills, work schedules, and messages about missed shifts or changes in duties. Write down which activities you could not do and when. Share these records with your lawyer so the medical and wage records can be checked against your account.
For company-held evidence, the firm’s guide to black box and camera records in Permian Basin truck cases explains what different systems may capture. If you were also working when the crash happened, see which employment and incident records to save after a Texas oilfield injury.
Who had the records for the truck’s trip?
The driver, the motor carrier, and the company receiving the load may each have part of the timeline. A motor carrier is the business operating the truck for the trip. Start by matching the truck and trailer identifiers to the dispatch instructions, the load ticket, and any available gate entry. A load ticket is a record of what the truck picked up or delivered.
If a company says the driver was off duty or working for a different business, compare that account with the assignment, pickup time, and records showing who could direct the trip. A trailer logo alone cannot answer that question. A driver can be on a job for one company while pulling equipment owned by another. The records help identify whose conduct to look at and who may still have evidence.
For motor carriers covered by the federal driver-log rule, 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k)(1) requires keeping duty records and their supporting documents for at least six months after receipt. That rule covers those records. It does not set a six-month storage period for every camera recording. A request to preserve evidence can ask the company to keep the specific records for the right truck, trip, and time window.
How long do you have to file a Texas truck accident lawsuit?
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 generally gives you two years from when the injury claim arises, usually the day of the wreck. The same law generally gives families two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit. A wrongful death lawsuit is a civil claim based on a death caused by someone else’s conduct.
An open insurance claim does not replace filing a lawsuit. The exact filing deadline can depend on the facts. If a government vehicle or agency was involved, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 101.101 can also require notice, and local notice rules may apply. Get the date checked early if you are unsure who operated the vehicle or which entity was involved.
How Ryan Orsatti Law reviews Midland-Odessa truck crashes
Ryan Orsatti Law is based in San Antonio and handles truck accident injury claims for people and families across Texas. In a Midland-Odessa wreck, the review can start with the crash report, the truck’s assignment, and the sight lines at the ramp or driveway. If you were hurt in a commercial vehicle crash, you can request a free consultation in English or Spanish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Were there 8,880 truck crashes in Midland and Ector counties?
No. TxDOT recorded 8,880 reported crashes of all kinds in Midland and Ector counties in 2025. Of those, 915 involved a commercial motor vehicle: 536 in Midland County and 379 in Ector County. The commercial vehicle figure includes vehicles other than oilfield trucks and does not isolate crashes on I-20.
Does 9.8 fatal crashes per 1,000 mean 9.8 people died?
No. That figure compares the number of fatal crashes with the number of reported crashes in Midland and Ector counties. TxDOT counted 87 fatal crashes out of 8,880 reported crashes in 2025. One crash can kill more than one person, so TxDOT keeps a separate count of people who died.
How do I get a truck accident report in Midland or Odessa?
Ask the responding agency for the report number, then use TxDOT’s online system to look for the CR-3. The CR-3 is the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report. Once you have it, check which vehicle, trailer, company, and location the officer listed. Save any photos or video that help explain differences.
Should I wait for the crash report before talking to a lawyer?
No. You can ask a lawyer to review a Midland-Odessa truck crash while the report is pending. Get medical care first. A time, location, witness name, truck photo, or plate number may help start the review and identify footage worth saving before it is erased or recorded over.
Source Notes
- TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by County, Ector County on page 3 and Midland County on page 7.
- TxDOT, 2025 Commercial Motor Vehicle Involved Crashes and Injuries by County, Ector County on page 3 and Midland County on page 7.
- TxDOT, Basin 20 corridor project and I-20 at FM 1788.
- TxDOT, Crash Reports and Records, for the CR-3 purchase process.
- 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k)(1), for retention of covered driver duty records.
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, for the general injury and wrongful death filing deadlines.
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 101.101, for notice of certain claims involving government units.
Ryan Orsatti Law
4634 De Zavala Rd, San Antonio, TX 78249
Phone: 210-525-1200
ryanorsattilaw.com
This blog is for informational purposes only, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee future results.
Hurt in an accident in San Antonio? Learn how a San Antonio truck accident lawyer can help with your claim. Call 210-525-1200 or request a free consultation.
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