A 9-year-old girl was seriously injured on September 7, 2026, after a vehicle struck a cow and rolled into the median on U.S. 77 north of Odem, Texas. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the crash happened around 8:12 p.m. as a 2023 Mazda CX-3 was traveling south on U.S. 77.
DPS has indicated the driver saw a cow in the roadway and tried to avoid it, but the Mazda struck the animal. The impact caused the vehicle to enter the center median, where it rolled over. The 9-year-old passenger was ejected before the vehicle came to rest upright.
HALO-Flight transported the child to Driscoll Children’s Hospital. The driver, a 46-year-old Corpus Christi man, and a 53-year-old woman passenger were taken by ambulance to CHRISTUS Spohn Shoreline. Officials indicated the adults were the child’s grandparents. Everyone survived the crash.
DPS continues to investigate.
Animals in the roadway can create sudden rollover hazards
A cow in the roadway creates an immediate and serious danger for motorists. Large livestock can be difficult to see at night, especially on rural highways with limited lighting. A driver may have only seconds to decide whether to brake, steer, or take evasive action. Even when a driver reacts quickly, striking a large animal can cause a vehicle to lose control.
This type of car accident can become especially dangerous when the vehicle leaves the roadway and rolls. Rollovers create unique injury risks because occupants may be thrown against the interior, partially ejected, or fully ejected from the vehicle. Children are particularly vulnerable because of their size, seating position, and dependence on proper restraint systems.
The key questions after this crash include how the cow entered the roadway, whether fencing or gates failed, whether the animal’s owner knew livestock could escape, and whether roadway lighting, visibility, or driver reaction contributed to the rollover.
Ejection injuries involving children
DPS reported that the 9-year-old passenger was ejected during the rollover. Ejection is one of the most dangerous events in a crash. A person ejected from a vehicle can suffer direct impact with the ground, roadway, debris, or the vehicle itself. These impacts can cause head injuries, spinal trauma, internal injuries, fractures, and other life-threatening harm.
A traumatic brain injury is a major concern after any ejection crash, especially when a child must be transported by medical helicopter. Internal bleeding can also occur after blunt-force trauma and may not be fully apparent at the scene.
Children injured in rollover crashes may require emergency treatment, hospitalization, follow-up imaging, orthopedic care, neurological evaluation, therapy, and long-term monitoring. Even when a child survives, the effects of a violent crash can last for years.
Seat belts, child restraints, and vehicle safety questions
When a child is ejected from a vehicle, investigators often review restraint use and vehicle safety systems. That does not mean blame should be assumed. It means the crash sequence must be understood. A violent rollover can involve complex forces, seat belt loading, door or window failure, glass breakage, roof deformation, and occupant movement inside the vehicle.
The review may include whether the child was wearing a seat belt, whether a booster seat or other child restraint was required or used, whether the restraint was properly positioned, and whether any vehicle component failed. If a restraint or vehicle safety system did not perform as expected, additional issues may arise.
An airbag defect or other safety-system issue may be relevant in some crashes, depending on impact direction and vehicle data. In a rollover, investigators may also examine side-curtain airbags, seat belt pretensioners, door latches, roof strength, and event data from the vehicle.
The goal is to determine why the child was ejected and whether the injury could have been prevented or reduced.
Livestock owner responsibility and roadway hazards
Livestock on a highway can raise legal questions beyond the driver’s conduct. Cows generally do not appear on major roadways without some failure in fencing, gates, containment, supervision, or property management. A livestock owner, landowner, lessee, or another party may be responsible if an animal escaped because reasonable precautions were not taken.
The analysis may depend on where the animal came from, whether fencing was damaged or inadequate, whether gates were left open, whether the owner had prior escape problems, and whether anyone knew livestock had entered the roadway before the crash. In some situations, local law, stock laws, open-range rules, or county-specific requirements may affect responsibility.
A crash involving livestock should prompt a careful review of surrounding properties, fencing, gate conditions, prior complaints, roadway video, witness statements, and law enforcement findings. If another driver had previously reported the animal, response time and warnings may also matter.
Medical transport and long-term damages
The child was flown by HALO-Flight to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, which reflects the seriousness of the crash. Air medical transport is often used when injuries may be life-threatening, when specialized pediatric care is needed, or when time is critical.
A seriously injured child may need substantial future medical care. That care may include surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy, cognitive therapy, neurological follow-up, orthopedic treatment, counseling, and school-related accommodations.
Families may also face major economic damages, including medical bills, ambulance or helicopter charges, travel costs, missed work, and future treatment expenses. The emotional toll of a child being ejected and airlifted can also be significant.
Legal questions after a livestock-related rollover crash
A livestock-related rollover can involve multiple potential causes. Driver reaction, roadway visibility, vehicle speed, road conditions, animal ownership, fencing, restraint use, and vehicle performance may all need to be reviewed. DPS will investigate the crash, but families may also need to understand whether a civil claim exists against a livestock owner, landowner, vehicle manufacturer, or another responsible party.
Preserving evidence early can be important. Photographs of the roadway, the animal, fencing, gates, vehicle damage, skid or yaw marks, and the crash scene may help explain what happened. Vehicle data, medical records, witness statements, and the official crash materials may also be important.
If a child suffers serious injuries, the legal review should focus not only on what happened in the moments before impact, but also on why a cow was present on U.S. 77 and whether the child’s injuries could have been prevented.
Speak With an Attorney After a Serious Rollover Crash
Spagnoletti Law Firm represents people and families affected by serious motor vehicle accidents and other catastrophic events. When a crash involves livestock in the roadway, a rollover, or a child ejection injury, it is important to determine how the hazard developed, who may be responsible, and what evidence is needed to protect the family’s rights.
We offer a free consultation, and we handle serious personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront attorney’s fees and we are paid only if we recover compensation for you.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a rollover crash, call Spagnoletti Law Firm at 713-804-9306 or contact us online.