Sherman police say the call came in just after 1 a.m. Thursday. A car had rolled over along the North US Highway 75 east service road. When officers arrived, they found a young man dead near the crash site. He had been thrown from the vehicle, landing about 15 feet west of the road.
The driver, Samaj Johnson, was spotted lying in the roadway. What happened next caught attention: Johnson stood up and tried to flee. Officers chased him down and placed him under arrest. That attempted escape is now part of the case file.
Johnson, 23, is facing a charge of intoxication manslaughter. Police say he was drunk behind the wheel when the crash happened. He was also injured and taken to a hospital, where he stayed under police watch.
The Sherman Police Department’s Critical Accident Investigation Team is leading the inquiry. They’re working to confirm every detail, but the evidence already points to intoxication as the cause. The crash occurred in the 5700 block of the service road, a stretch often busy even late at night.
The victim, also 23, has not been identified publicly. Police are holding back his name until family members are notified. His death adds weight to the charges Johnson now faces.
Sherman, the county seat of Grayson County, is no stranger to highway accidents. But this one has drawn sharp focus because of the driver’s attempt to run and the charge of intoxication manslaughter. It’s a case that underscores the risks of impaired driving.
For now, Johnson sits in custody, awaiting medical release and the next steps in court. The victim’s family waits for answers, and the city of Sherman is left with another reminder of how fast lives can change on the road.




