5 Killed in Vega Collision
Five people are killed Saturday when two vehicles collided on rural road outside of Vega, Texas. A sixth crash victim remains in critical condition.
Four of the Deceased were Family Members
According to the ABC 7 News in Amarillo, the violent crash occurred when 30-year-old Ryan Painter of Corpus Christi crossed over the center line of U.S. 385, roughly 16 miles north of Vega.
Painters Ford F250 pickup collided head-on with a Chevrolet van carrying five family members from Hobbs, New Mexico just before midnight. The two vehicles were engulfed in flames following the collision.
Painters and four occupants of the van were killed in the collision. Authorities have identified three of the deceased van occupants as: 43-year-old Louis David Torres Sr., 43-year-old Dalila Torres, and 20-year-old Rebecca Torres. The name of the fourth deceased van occupant, a 10-year-old girl, has not been released.
The only survivor of the accident, a 14-year-old occupant of the van, was rushed to University Medical Center in Lubbock where he is listed in critical condition.
Texas Auto Accident Statistics
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):
- 3,377 people were killed in traffic collisions in Texas in 2013 – a 1.05-percent decrease from the 3,413 traffic fatalities recorded in 2012.
- 55.76-percent of the deaths recorded in 2013 occurred in rural areas of the state, and 523 people were killed in head-on collisions.
- Another, 232,041 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas with 89,270 people sustaining serious injuries.
- Based on available crash data for 2013, TxDOT estimates:
- One person was killed in a traffic accident in Texas every 2 hours and 36 minutes.
- One person was injured every 2 minutes and 16 seconds.
- A reportable crash occurred every 71 seconds.
