Two Adults, Child, Baby Injured in Auto Accident on SH 135 in Kilgore, TX
Kilgore, TX — November 21, 2022, two adults, a child, and an infant were injured in a crash with a truck on State Highway 135 in Kilgore.
Authorities say the incident happened around 5:55 p.m. on Highway 135 at Peavine Road. Preliminary investigation suggests the victims' Chevy Equinox was crossing through the highway from Peavine when a northbound Ford F-250 crashed into them.
The infant in the Chevy was airlifted from the scene to a Shreveport hospital. Driver Austin Morris, an adult woman passenger, and a 3-year-old girl were taken by ambulance to a Tyler hospital. The Ford driver, later identified as Antonia Sanchez, was unhurt.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Austin Morris Accident on TX-135 in Kilgore
Images of the mentioned intersection show that traffic on Peavine has a stop sign and is meant to yield to vehicles on the highway. If the victims didn't yield to the northbound truck as suggested, then it's important to find out precisely why not rather than jumping to any conclusions.
For example: Was the passenger vehicle in good repair? Was the driver in good health? Did something block his view of the truck? Was signage clearly visible at the intersection? Could weather or road conditions have been a factor? Is there a history of similar crashes in that area? Could the pickup driver have done anything differently to avoid the collision?
I'm not trying to complicate things or make accusations. Unusual factors are just sometimes overlooked and faulty conclusions are reached during preliminary investigations. For instance, there was a recent incident in West Texas where someone allegedly ran a stop sign and fatally crashed with a truck. Police reports blamed the victim for running the sign, but we found out later the intersection didn't have signs at the time because road-construction crews removed them. The victim didn't even know they had to stop, but until that fact was learned they were unfairly blamed.
It's unlikely the same thing happened in Kilgore, but many crashes aren't as simple as they might appear and crucial details are often overlooked or misunderstood. Will police be thorough and careful enough to get the whole truth, or would experienced independent professionals stand a better chance?
