GEORGETOWN, TEXAS — One year after a semi-truck hauling an excavator struck the State Highway 29 bridge in Georgetown and sent debris flying into traffic, the family of the man who died from his injuries has filed a civil lawsuit against the trucking company and driver, alleging a fatal indifference to basic safety standards that could have prevented the crash entirely.
Jonathan Scott Morgan was driving a pickup truck behind the 18-wheeler on September 2, 2025, when the truck struck the bridge overpass. Morgan was injured by flying debris and later died. Driver Alan Collins, who worked for Austin Underground LLC, now faces a manslaughter charge in Williamson County.
Austin Underground has already paid more than $500,000 in damages for the bridge and reached an agreement on civil claims brought by the Morgan family. The new lawsuit names both Austin Underground and Collins, alleging the company failed to properly vet Collins before hiring him, failed to provide him with a measuring device, and failed to measure the height of the excavator load before the trip.
“This is a classic example of indifference to safety caused by commercial motor vehicle operators not complying with recognized industry standards,” said Daniel Sciano, lead attorney for the Morgan family. “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. And in his indifference to safety on that day, unfortunately led to over a half million dollars 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,” Sciano added.
Attorney Kimberly Kayatta, also representing the family, described the ongoing grief. “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.”
Austin Underground’s attorney Stephen P. Bega said the civil claims were fully litigated and resolved by agreement and that the company and Collins continue to send their sincere condolences to the Morgan family. Due to pending criminal litigation, no further comment was provided.
TxDOT said bridge strikes are relatively uncommon but preventable. “Drivers of oversized vehicles and loads should know their vehicle’s dimensions and map their route before traveling,” a TxDOT spokesperson said, noting the agency has partnered with equipment rental companies in the Austin area to educate customers renting large equipment about verifying height and width before departure.
Interviews courtesy of local media.
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