Rear-End Collision Kills Three Persons in Maverick County within Eagle Ford Shale area
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
A horrific rear-end collision at approximately 12 Noon on Tuesday, October 28, 2014, by an 18 wheeler tractor-trailer against a stationary van and pick-up truck awaiting construction on U.S. Highway 277 South between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs, Texas, killed three persons including the woman driving the van and two men in the pick-up truck, in Maverick County, Texas, within the Eagle Ford Shale area.
Once the initial 18 wheeler tractor-trailer rear-ended the stationary van and pick-up truck, a second 18 wheeler tractor-trailer then rear-ended the first 18 wheeler tractor-trailer on a stretch of U.S. Highway 277 South under construction approximately 12 miles outside of Eagle Pass, Texas.
The tragic accident caused the closure of U.S. Highway 277 South for several hours while law enforcement and rescue teams investigated the accident and transported the injured to medical facilities. U.S. Highway 277 South traffic was redirected to FM 1021 (El Indio Highway) until U.S. 277 South was reopened. The accident is under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety and Maverick County Sheriff’s Department.
According to preliminary reports, the van and pick-up truck were stopped due to highway construction work on U.S. Highway 277 South being done by the Texas Department of Transportation or one of its contractors when they were rear-ended by a tractor-trailer which failed to stop and a second tractor-trailer then rear-ended the first 18 wheeler being unable to stop to avoid the accident. Driver inattention is believed to be a contributing factor in the fatal accident.
One person killed was pinned inside the pick-up truck requiring emergency crews to use the jaws of life to extract the body from the wreckage. Another person died instantly in the accident while another was airlifted to a San Antonio, Texas medical facility whom later died from his injuries.
The female driver of the van who died in the accident was identified as Melissa Trevino, age 41years old, from Laredo, Texas while the male driver of the pick-up truck was identified as James Douglas Givens, age 63 years old, from Richmond, Texas. The male passenger in the pick-up truck, John Brown, age 69, also passed away from the accident.
This stretch of U.S. Highway 277 South is located within the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas area. Fatal accidents within the Eagle Ford Shale area have increased significantly in recent years.
Just two years ago on October 27, 2012, four Eagle Passans were killed in a head-on collision on this same stretch of U.S. Highway 277 South between Eagle Pass and Carrizo Springs, Texas.
Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber reminds all drivers to obey and observe all highway signs and road conditions while driving to avoid such fatal and catastrophic accidents.
