Rockport lost one of its own Monday afternoon when Juanito Garcia Jr., 52, died after a violent single-vehicle crash on Corpus Christi Street, a quiet residential stretch that turned tragic in seconds.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Garcia was driving a classic 1959 Willys Overland Jeepster westbound in the 300 block of Corpus Christi Street around 1:23 p.m. What should have been a routine drive ended abruptly when the vehicle drifted off the roadway for reasons investigators are still trying to understand.
Troopers said the vintage jeep slammed front-first into an elevated section of a roadside ditch. The impact caused heavy damage to the front of the vehicle, leaving the scene scattered with debris and the jeep badly mangled.
Emergency medical crews rushed to the location and found Garcia unresponsive inside the vehicle. Paramedics transported him to the Rockport 24/7 Emergency Room in a last-ditch effort to save his life.
Despite those efforts, Garcia was pronounced dead at 2:24 p.m. Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Judge Diana McGinnes officially confirmed his death, bringing a somber close to an afternoon that stunned nearby residents.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said troopers from the Highway Patrol Office in Sinton are leading the investigation. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no additional injuries were reported.
So far, authorities have not said what caused the jeep to leave the road. Questions remain about speed, possible mechanical failure, a medical emergency, or whether Garcia was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
The vehicle itself, a 1959 Willys Overland Jeepster, is considered a classic, but officials have not indicated whether the age or design of the jeep played any role in the deadly outcome.
For now, the investigation remains active. Troopers are working to piece together what went wrong on that short stretch of road, as family, friends, and the Rockport community come to terms with a sudden and heartbreaking loss.
