A quiet afternoon on U.S. Highway 87 turned tragic this past Wednesday in rural northwest Texas when a chain of events claimed four young lives. Northbound traffic still hums past the point 10 miles south of Dalhart in Hartley County, but for multiple families the world changed forever around 1:40 p.m.
The sequence began when a 2020 Nissan Altima, driven by 20-year-old Myunique Johnson of Stratford, was forced to move at a “slow rate of speed” after suffering a flat tire while traveling southbound on U.S. 87. With the vehicle compromised and travel slowed, tragedy struck: a 2020 Peterbilt semi-tractor-trailer, driven by 39-year-old Daniel Villarreal Guadalupe of Converse, also southbound, failed to control his speed and rear-ended the Altima.
Minutes later the scene was set: four passengers in the Altima—Johnson and her three companions—were pronounced dead at the scene from crash-related injuries. The three other victims were identified as 18-year-old Lakeisha Brown of Galveston, 31-year-old Breanna Brantley of Rosharon, and 28-year-old Taylor White of Missouri City. Meanwhile, the truck driver was transported to Coon Memorial Hospital in Dalhart with non-life-threatening injuries.
The preliminary investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows that the road and weather were not immediate factors — the roadway was dry and conditions clear — and speed played a key role in the moment of impact. Though the Altima was slowed by the flat tire, it remained southbound in the travel lane of U.S. 87 at around 1:40 p.m. when the semi-tractor failed to decelerate in time.
Friends and family of the four lost continue to share stories of their vibrant spirits and caring hearts, often emphasizing how each of them lit up a room. Johnson, Brown, Brantley and White had journeys and relationships and futures ahead, and now those have been cruelly truncated. In their memory, loved ones are clinging to the happy moments — the laughs, the plans, the everyday connections — rather than only the devastating end.
For the community in Hartley County and nearby, the crash has become a solemn reminder that even on familiar stretches of road under clear skies, the margin for error is narrow and the consequences can be irreversible. Safety professionals stress the importance of staying alert — both as drivers and as fellow travelers — and of allowing space and time when one vehicle slows for any reason.
As the DPS investigation continues, a preliminary crash report will become available in about ten days for public purchase. Meanwhile the memories of Johnson, Brown, Brantley and White live on. Though gone too soon, their names and spirits have been carried forward in condolences, community gatherings and social-media tributes. The hearts they touched will keep their stories alive — a legacy born from laughter, love and a life ended far too early.