Investigators say both victims were ejected after a car turned into the path of an oncoming pickup truck.
ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — A 13-day-old baby and a 17-year-old were killed in a highway crash in West Texas after a sedan attempting to turn onto a service road was struck by a pickup truck, authorities said. Four other people were injured in the collision, which occurred Thursday afternoon.
Texas Department of Public Safety investigators said the crash remains under investigation as officials work to determine the full sequence of events. The deaths of the newborn and the teenage driver have drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding the collision, including investigators’ findings that neither victim was properly restrained when the impact occurred.
According to state investigators, the crash happened at about 3:50 p.m. near State Highway 158 in Ector County. Authorities said a 2022 Dodge Ram 2500 was traveling northbound in the inside lane when a 2024 Chevrolet Malibu traveling southbound attempted to make a left turn onto a service road. Troopers said the Malibu failed to yield the right of way to the approaching pickup. The truck struck the passenger side of the sedan, causing severe damage. Emergency crews responded to the scene and found multiple injured occupants. Investigators said the force of the collision ejected both the Malibu’s 17-year-old driver and a 13-day-old boy who was riding in the vehicle. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities identified the victims only as a 17-year-old and a 13-day-old infant from Mississippi. DPS officials said neither was wearing a seat belt or other restraint at the time of the crash. Investigators have not publicly released additional details about the relationship between the occupants or the purpose of their travel through West Texas. A passenger riding in the Malibu suffered serious injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment. Officials said four people in total were injured, although authorities have not released a complete breakdown of the injuries sustained by each person involved. The occupants of the pickup truck were among those affected by the collision. Troopers continue gathering witness statements and reviewing evidence from the crash scene.
Traffic crashes involving unrestrained occupants often result in more severe injuries because occupants can be thrown against the interior of a vehicle or ejected during an impact. Highway safety officials across the United States have long emphasized the importance of seat belts and child restraint systems in reducing fatalities during crashes. While investigators have not indicated that speed, impairment or mechanical failure played a role in this collision, those factors are routinely examined during major crash investigations. Ector County, located in the Permian Basin region of West Texas, experiences significant highway traffic from both local and long-distance travelers, particularly along routes used by commercial and energy-industry vehicles.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not announced whether any citations or additional findings will result from the crash. Troopers are expected to continue reviewing physical evidence, vehicle damage patterns and witness accounts as part of the inquiry. Investigators may also examine data stored in the vehicles’ onboard systems to help reconstruct the collision. Officials have not provided a timeline for releasing a final report. Such reports typically include information about road conditions, vehicle movements and contributing factors identified during the investigation. No criminal allegations have been announced, and authorities have not indicated that charges are being considered at this stage.
The scene remained a focus of investigators for hours after the collision as emergency responders worked to assist survivors and document evidence. The deaths of a newborn child and a teenager added to the tragedy for families and communities connected to the victims. While many questions remain unanswered, officials have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and that additional details may be released as facts are confirmed. For now, authorities say their priority is determining exactly how the collision unfolded and documenting all factors that contributed to the fatal crash.
As of the latest update, the Texas Department of Public Safety continues to investigate the collision. Officials have not released further information about the injured survivors or announced when additional findings from the case will become public.
Author note: Last updated June 12, 2026.