Tom Bean is grieving after Makynna Eden Tumlinson, 18, a Tom Bean High School senior and prom queen, was killed last Wednesday in a crash on State Highway 11 while driving to start a summer job. Her Chevrolet Cruze hit the back of a commercial truck, and her family says she was pronounced dead at the scene. The wreck happened in the northbound lanes near McGraw Lane in rural Grayson County.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reports the collision happened around 3:44 p.m., when Tumlinson's car failed to control its speed and struck the rear of a 2007 International truck, according to CBS News Texas. The truck's driver, 37-year-old Hector Ivan Mejia Garcia of Allen, was taken to a local hospital with suspected minor injuries, the outlet reported.
Her mother, Stephanie Tumlinson, told KXII that they had spoken just before Makynna left for work and that the family is still trying to grasp the loss. KXII also reported that Makynna survived birth after doctors gave her only a 2 percent chance, and that she went on to serve as student council president, cheerleader, and the school's prom queen.
What investigators say
State troopers say preliminary findings indicate both vehicles came to rest in the northbound lane after the impact and that investigators are looking closely at speed and vehicle movement as possible factors, according to CBS News Texas. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and that no final determination has been released.
Local grief and memorials
Tom Bean High canceled school activities the day after the crash and held a remembrance in the gym. Students have turned Makynna's senior parking spot into a makeshift memorial, covering it with flowers and candles, as reported by KXII. Friends and classmates remembered her as "Sunshine," who "brightened everyone’s day," her mother told the station.
A larger pattern
Crashes on rural Texas roads continue to be deadly. TxDOT's 2024 summary lists 4,150 traffic fatalities statewide and shows that rural areas accounted for roughly half of those deaths, underscoring the risks on two-lane highways such as SH-11. Young drivers also face higher crash rates per mile driven, a pattern highlighted in federal safety data and analysis from the NHTSA, which officials say helps guide outreach and enforcement efforts.
The family has asked for privacy while making arrangements, and the Texas Department of Public Safety is asking anyone with information about the crash to contact troopers working the case. This story will be updated as officials release additional details.
