2 Killed, 1 Injured in Lubbock County Crash

A husband and wife were killed and another person is in serious condition following a two-vehicle crash in East Lubbock County Saturday afternoon.

Details of the Fatal Lubbock County Accident

According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the crash occurred around 2:20 pm on U.S. Highway 62/82 at the intersection of FM 1729.

Investigators say a Dodge pickup was traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 62/82 when it struck a Kia passenger car that had stopped at a stop sign on FM 1729, but failed to yield right of way and pulled out in front of the Dodge.

The driver of the Kia, Paulino Quinonez, 79, and his wife Patrocinia Quinonez, 71, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup, Joey Espinoza, 29, was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Texas Car Crash Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

•  3,773 traffic fatalities were recorded in Texas in 2016, marking a 5.45-percent increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
• Of the deaths recorded in 2016, 1,942 occurred in rural areas of the state. 814 deaths were associated with crashes that occurred at or in relation to an intersection.
• An additional 265,076 people were injured in traffic accidents in 2016.
• Based on reportable crash data for 2016, TxDOT estimates that:
  • One person was killed in a traffic crash in Texas every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
  • A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.