One dead in crash: Woman dies, four injured in U.S. Highway 277 collision
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A woman died Wednesday night following a two-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 277 south of Del Rio, a state highway patrol official said.
Maria Consuelo “Connie” Mendoza, 41, a resident of Del Rio, was a back-seat passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the collision. Four other persons were also injured and treated at area hospitals, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. David Thomas said early this morning.
Thomas said DPS troopers were notified of the collision at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday. The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 277 near the highway’s intersection with Tesoro Hills Drive southeast of the Del Rio city limits.
Thomas said Mendoza was one of three passengers in a maroon Hyundai Tucson being driven by Del Rio resident Carmen Gutierrez, 30. He said the two other passengers in the Tucson were Maria Gutierrez, 56, and Paulo Pacheco, 49, both also residents of Del Rio.
Mendoza and the other three occupants of the Tucson were transported to the emergency room at Val Verde Regional Medical Center. Thomas said Maria Gutierrez was later flown by helicopter ambulance to a hospital in San Antonio.
Maria Gutierrez, better known in the community as Carmen Gutierrez, is the liaison for U.S. Rep. Will Hurd and the former president of the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Also injured in the collision was the driver and sole occupant of a silver Mazda Tribute, identified as Victor Perez Gomez, 43, a resident of Mission, Texas.
Thomas said the Mazda Tribute was traveling north on U.S. 277 and the Hyundai Tucson was traveling south on U.S. 277 when the collision occurred.
Thomas said the two vehicles collided after Gomez, the driver of the Mazda, was distracted. He said Gomez realized the Mazda had drifted into the southbound lane of the highway and tried to steer back into the northbound lane, but was unable to do so and collided head-on with the southbound Tucson.
Gomez was treated at the scene by paramedics from Val Verde Regional Medical Center for an injury to his leg, but refused ambulance transport to the hospital.
Thomas said a friend of Gomez’s, who came to the scene of the collision, later took Gomez to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, and then drove him to a hospital in Eagle Pass instead.
Thomas said troopers investigating the collision found no evidence that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash and noted that all of the occupants of both vehicles, except for Pacheco, were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the impact.
Thomas said no citations were issued or criminal charges have been filed in connection with the crash, but added the collision remains under investigation.
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