The family of a man killed by debris from an oversize bridge strike is suing the truck driver and trucking company for failing to use a measuring device to verify height and other transgressions.
The September 2025 accident happened when a semi truck hauling an excavator struck the State Highway 29 bridge in Georgetown, Texas. Jonathan Scott Morgan was in a pickup behind the semi truck and was injured by flying debris from the crash. He later died of his injuries.
The trucking company involved in the accident, Austin Underground LLC, has already paid $500,000 in damages for the overpass and reached an agreement regarding civil claims brought forth by the Morgan family. Now, Morgan’s family has named trucking company Austin Underground LLC and truck driver Alan Collins in a civil lawsuit citing failure to meet industry standards, reported KVUE.
“They’re grappling with how absolutely pointless and needless Jonathan’s passing was. So I don’t know that it’s something that you ever would recover from,” said Kimberly Kayatta, an attorney representing Morgan’s family.
“This is a classic example of indifference to safety caused by commercial motor vehicle operators not complying with recognized industry standards,” said Daniel Sciano, an attorney for the family.
The suit alleges that the company did not properly vet Collins before hiring him, failed to provide him with a measuring device, and failed to measure the height of the load he was hauling.
“At the end of the day, that commercial motor vehicle operator should have measured the height of his load, and it was incumbent upon him to do so,” Sciano said. “And in his indifference to safety on that day, unfortunately led to over a half $1 million of damage to a bridge and the death of the young man that would still be here.”
“They were an absolute danger to the motoring public in the way they were operating in the roadway.”
A spokesperson for the Texas DOT made the following statement regarding the situation:
“Drivers of oversized vehicles and loads should know their vehicle’s dimensions and map their route before traveling. As part of an effort to reduce bridge strikes in the Austin area, TxDOT partnered with equipment rental companies along high-priority corridors to educate customers renting large equipment. The effort encouraged drivers to verify vehicle height and width and identify potential clearance restrictions before beginning their trip.”
Austin Underground LLC states that “the claims in the lawsuit filed by the Morgan family in Travis County were fully litigated by the company and were resolved by agreement. The company does not comment on closed matters. Austin Underground and Alan Collins continue to send their sincere condolences to the Morgan family. Due to the remaining pending litigation, we cannot make further comment at this time.”
Collins is currently facing a manslaughter charge.
