Krystal Mauricio Killed, Eli Mendoza Injured in Wrong-Way Crash on US-90 in Liberty County, TX
UPDATE (January 26, 2023): The driver killed in this accident has been identified as Krystal Mauricio.
Liberty County, TX — November 28, 2022, a 31-year-old Houston woman died in a wrong-way collision on U.S. Highway 90 near Devers in Liberty County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 11:20 p.m. on US-90, just over two miles east of Devers. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim was traveling east in the westbound lanes, against traffic, for unknown reasons. Her Nissan Rogue soon approached a westbound Ford van and crashed into it head-on.
The Nissan driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The Ford driver, 28-year-old Eli Mendoza, was transported to an area hospital in unknown condition.
The investigation continues. No further information is available at this time.
As always, I must discourage speculation and guesswork based on just the few preliminary details reports can provide. Trying to connect the dots with anything but facts and evidence does far more harm than good. Wrong-way collisions may generally be caused by a handful of common factors, but without knowing all the specifics no one can rule out something unusual like medical emergencies, poor visibility during night hours, confusing signage, or poorly-marked road lines along that stretch of highway.
Is it possible evidence will show this terrible incident at least has a simple explanation? Maybe, but assuming that before the investigation concludes is unfair to the victim and hurtful to her loved ones. The people affected by serious crashes deserve at least the peace of mind of knowing how and why things went the way they did; I hope that's what authorities in Liberty County will bring them.
