HOUSTON – Five people are dead and seven people are being treated at area hospitals for serious injuries following a major accident that backed up Highway 59 southbound for hours.
Sgt. Ruben Miguel, with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the accident happened at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Telferner exit north of Victoria.
Miguel said the van traveling northbound on Highway 59 was carrying 10 family members. Officials said as the van was entering the freeway, it clipped the left rear of an 18-wheeler, causing the driver of the van to lose control.
A major 3-vehicle wreck on US 59 near Telferner has left 5 dead and 7 injured. For the latest on the crash, please click here: https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/crime/update-van-passengers-involved-in-u-s-crash-were-traveling/article_128e855c-ab0f-11e9-a19e-570a22674ccf.html Also, look for full coverage in Sunday's Victoria Advocate.
Posted by The Victoria Advocate on Saturday, July 20, 2019
Investigators said the van then went into the center median dividing the highway and into oncoming traffic, striking an oncoming pickup truck.
Victoria Battalion Chief, Kevin Allen said when the van collided with the pickup truck, one of the people inside were trapped.
“One of them was trapped and we did have to do extricate one of the occupants out of the truck,” Allen said.
The two people inside the pickup truck were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The five people who were pronounced deceased on the scene were a woman, two men, a boy and a girl who were all in the van.
The remaining five people in the van were transported to the hospital, and their conditions are unknown at the time.
The driver of the 18-wheeler was the only person not injured.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by DPS.