Two teenagers were killed and several others were injured Saturday evening when a truck carrying as many as 15 passengers lost control and rolled over on a dirt road in Katy, Texas.
About the Fatal Katy Accident
The Houston Chronicle reports that Seven Lakes High student Trent Weber, 17, and Cinco Ranch High student Terra Kubala, 16, were fatally injured after being thrown from a Toyota Tundra driven by an 18-year-old Seven Lakes student.
Authorities state that five teenagers were crammed into the pickup’s cab and as many as 10 others were riding in the bed of the truck when the accident occurred.
Police believe the young driver lost control of the truck on an easement near Luna Vista Drive, causing the overcrowded vehicle to flip several times. The teens were leaving a bonfire.
The driver of the pickup and four other teens were transported to area hospitals with significant injuries. Fortunately, their injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.
The two Katy ISD schools came together Sunday to hold a memorial service celebrating the lives of Weber and Kubala – hundreds of Katy residents were in attendence.
Texas Auto Accident Statistics
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):
- There were 3,377 traffic related fatalities recorded in Texas in 2013. This marked a 1.05-percent decrease from the 3,413 deaths recorded in 2012.
- Another 232,041 people were injured in auto accidents in 2013 with 89,270 people suffering serious injuries.
- Single vehicle, run-off the road accidents accounted for 1,333 deaths in 2013 – 39.47 percent of all traffic deaths recorded that year.
- Based on available crash data, a person was killed in an auto accident in Texas every 2 hours and 36 minutes and a person was injured every 2 minutes and 16 seconds.
