Teen Driver, 16, Dies a Day After Two-Pickup Crash on US 87 South of Dumas

Published by Dunk Law Firm

Published:

Branded Dunk Law Firm news card about the November 12, 2026, two-pickup crash on US 87 south of Dumas in Moore County, Texas, after which a 16-year-old driver died, with DPS-sourced facts and the phone number 888-551-3865. The background is a code-drawn editorial illustration, not the actual crash scene: an empty two-lane road in daylight.

MOORE COUNTY, Texas — A 16-year-old driver died Friday, November 13, 2026, a day after a two-pickup crash on US 87 south of Dumas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety as reported by KAMR and ABC 7 Amarillo.

The crash happened Thursday afternoon, November 12, on US 87 near Watson Road south of Dumas. KAMR, citing DPS, put the time at about 3:18 p.m.; ABC 7 Amarillo reported about 3:15 p.m. According to DPS, the teen was driving a 2008 Toyota Tacoma southbound and a 2008 GMC Sierra pickup was northbound. DPS said the teen failed to yield the right of way while attempting a left turn, and the Sierra struck the Tacoma's passenger side, KAMR reported.

He was flown to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo with serious injuries and died the next day, ABC 7 Amarillo and KAMR reported. The Sierra's driver, a 49-year-old Missouri man, was taken to Moore County Hospital with minor injuries and released. The crash remains under investigation by the Texas Highway Patrol. In keeping with our policy, we do not name minors. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and community.

Questions after a serious crash? Call Dunk Law Firm at (888) 551-3865 for a free case review, 24/7.

Key Facts

  • Location: US 87 near Watson Road, south of Dumas, Moore County, Texas
  • Date and time: Thursday, November 12, 2026, about 3:15 to 3:18 p.m. Central (sources differ; DPS via ABC 7 Amarillo and KAMR); he died Friday, November 13
  • Vehicles: A southbound 2008 Toyota Tacoma driven by a 16-year-old and a northbound 2008 GMC Sierra pickup (DPS via KAMR)
  • Deaths: The 16-year-old Tacoma driver died a day later at a hospital in Amarillo
  • Injuries: The Sierra driver, a 49-year-old Missouri man, had minor injuries and was released
  • Investigating agency: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Highway Patrol; preliminary DPS account says the teen failed to yield while turning left; investigation ongoing

Sources checked as of November 14, 2026, 7:39 a.m. CST. This line is not the article's publication date.

Timeline of Official Statements and Reporting

  • Thu., Nov. 12, about 3:15 to 3:18 p.m. Central: The Tacoma and the Sierra collide on US 87 near Watson Road (DPS via ABC 7 Amarillo and KAMR).
  • Fri., Nov. 13: The 16-year-old dies at a hospital in Amarillo (DPS via KAMR).
  • Fri., Nov. 13, 10:20 p.m. Central: ABC 7 Amarillo publishes the DPS account (reporting milestone).
  • Fri., Nov. 13, 10:32 p.m. Central (updated 11:34 p.m.): KAMR publishes its DPS-sourced report (reporting milestone).

What Makes This Crash Different

DPS has given a preliminary account that the teen failed to yield while turning left across the northbound lanes. That is an early statement in an investigation the Texas Highway Patrol says is still open. It is not a court finding, and it does not by itself settle every question a family may have, such as the other pickup's speed, sight lines at Watson Road, or how each vehicle's safety equipment performed.

Because the driver who died was 16, his parents would typically be the ones dealing with insurers and investigators. Claims involving minors can raise their own legal questions that need individual review.

Questions Investigators May Examine

  • How fast each pickup was traveling, and what the Sierra driver could see as the Tacoma began its left turn.
  • Sight lines, signage and any turn lane at US 87 and Watson Road.
  • What each pickup's event data recorder shows about speed, braking and steering in the seconds before impact.
  • Whether seat belts were used and how the Tacoma's passenger-side structure performed.

These are investigative questions, not allegations that any driver, agency or company caused the crash.

What Remains Unknown

  • The Sierra's speed and whether any citation will be issued.
  • The final findings of the Texas Highway Patrol investigation.
  • Whether anyone else was in either pickup; the sources reviewed mention only the two drivers.
  • The exact time; the two reports differ by a few minutes.

Evidence to Preserve

  • Request the crash report when it is available (see below) and keep the report or case number.
  • Find out where each vehicle is. Vehicles can be held as evidence. A person with legal authority can ask that a vehicle be preserved before it is repaired, salvaged or destroyed, while respecting any law-enforcement hold.
  • Ask about video early. Tell investigators or a lawyer about businesses, traffic cameras or doorbell cameras near US 87 near Watson Road south of Dumas. Recordings can be overwritten. Do not enter restricted property to get them.
  • Keep the Tacoma if you can. If the family controls the Tacoma, ask that it not be repaired, sold or scrapped yet; its event data recorder and the passenger-side damage may matter to any later review.
  • Keep original photos, texts and witness contact details without editing them. Access a deceased person's phone or accounts only with proper legal authority.
  • Keep financial, work and insurance records, including funeral costs, medical bills, pay stubs, policies and claim letters.

Our guide on evidence that can disappear after a vehicle collision explains why preservation can matter before an investigation ends. Avoid public accusations, and do not post private family documents.

How to get the crash report. Texas peace officer crash reports (CR-3) are sold through TxDOT's crash reports page and its CRIS purchase site. TxDOT lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, plus a possible processing charge, and people outside the eligible categories receive a redacted copy. Officers generally have ten days to submit reports, which does not guarantee a report is available on day ten. Requests for scene photos, video or other investigation files go to the investigating agency (the Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas Highway Patrol)), not TxDOT.

What Families Should Know

This is general information about Texas law, not advice about anyone's claim, and it does not assume anyone is at fault.

Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Texas? Under Civil Practice and Remedies Code §71.004, a wrongful death action is for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse, children and parents of the person who died, and one or more of them may bring it for all of them. If none of them files within three calendar months after the death, the executor or administrator must bring it unless all of them ask otherwise. That three-month rule is not the overall filing deadline.

What is the deadline? CPRC §16.003(b) generally requires a suit for injury resulting in death to be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, and it says the claim accrues on the death of the injured person. Tolling and special rules can apply, so nothing here is a calculated deadline for any family. A person who was injured but survived has a separate personal-injury provision in §16.003(a).

How does fault work? Under CPRC Chapter 33, a claimant found more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover damages, and a lower percentage reduces damages by that share. In a death case, the fault of the person who died can count. Fault is decided on the evidence, and the sources we reviewed do not make a final finding.

Damages. Texas wrongful death damages are awarded in proportion to the injury under §71.010, which does not state a fixed dollar ceiling. That does not mean "no caps" in every situation: exemplary (punitive) damages, claims against government entities and health-care claims follow separate rules that need individual legal review.

A wrongful death lawyer can explain these rules without assuming anyone is responsible. Before signing an insurance release, understand which claims it settles and whether you have authority to sign it.

Frequently Asked Questions

DPS said the teen failed to yield. Does that end any claim? Not necessarily. It is a preliminary account in an open investigation. Texas uses proportionate responsibility: a claimant found more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover, and a lower share reduces damages. How fault is divided is decided on the full evidence.

Was a commercial truck involved? The sources reviewed describe the other vehicle as a 2008 GMC Sierra pickup driven by a 49-year-old Missouri man; they do not say it was a commercial or company vehicle.

How can the family get the crash report? DPS crash reports (CR-3) are sold through TxDOT's crash reports page and CRIS once submitted. See the crash report section above.

How Dunk Law Firm Can Help

A case review can help identify which records to request, what evidence may need preserving, which insurance policies to look at and who may have authority to act. It cannot establish fault or promise compensation before the facts are known.

Dunk Law Firm handles wrongful death, catastrophic injury and commercial vehicle cases. Our Houston office serves families in Moore County and the Texas Panhandle and throughout Texas, and the firm also serves clients statewide in Tennessee, Missouri and Wisconsin, with offices in Memphis, St. Louis and Milwaukee. Dunk Law Firm does not contact families after a crash; if you have questions, reach out when you are ready.

For a free case review, call (888) 551-3865 or visit Dunk Law Firm. Help is available 24/7, with no upfront attorney fees. Ask about the written fee agreement and case expenses.

You do not need to have every document ready to ask an initial question.

Sources

Sources checked November 14, 2026, 7:39 a.m. CST.

  1. KAMR MyHighPlains.com: Teen dies a day later from injuries suffered in wreck near Dumas on Thursday — posted Nov. 13, 2026, 10:32 p.m. CST, updated 11:34 p.m. CST; cites Texas DPS
  2. ABC 7 Amarillo (KVII): Dumas teen dies after Thursday crash — published Nov. 13, 2026, 10:20 p.m. Central (metadata 2026-11-13T22:20:55-06:00); cites Texas DPS; independent station report
  3. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 — filing period
  4. Texas CPRC §71.004 and §71.010 — who may sue; damages
  5. Texas CPRC §33.001 — proportionate responsibility
  6. TxDOT: Crash reports and records
  7. TxDOT CRIS purchase site

The images with this article are code-drawn editorial illustrations, not photographs of the actual scene.

Attorney advertising. General information, not legal advice. No outcome is guaranteed, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. This report does not imply representation of anyone involved. Attorney review or approval is not claimed. Responsible attorney: Orville Dunk.