Man Charged with Manslaughter for Fatal Van Zandt County Crash
A teenager is charged with manslaughter after veering into oncoming traffic and causing a fatal collision in Van Zandt County Friday morning.
Details of the Fatal Van Zandt County Crash
According to KLTV, the fatal collision occurred on FM 1651 about 10 miles south of Canton at 10:12 am.
Police say 17-year-old Victor Alfonso Medina was driving a 2003 Chevy Silverado westbound on FM 1651 when he recognized a vehicle driver by an acquaintance, 18-year-old Taylor Layne Raper.
Medina swerved across the center line to “scare” Raper and collided with Raper’s vehicle head-on.
Raper was rushed to a hospital in Tyler where she died. Medina was arrested and charged with manslaughter.
A passenger in Medina’s vehicle was injured and is listed in stable condition.
Texas Car Accident Statistics
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):
- 3,623 people were killed in crashes in Texas in 2019.
- 67% of traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas of the state.
- 597 people were killed in head-on collisions.
- An additional 256,797 people were injured in crashes in Texas in 2019 with 15,855 people suffering serious injuries.
- Based on reportable data for 2019:
- 1 person was killed in a crash in Texas every 2 hours and 25 minutes.
- 1 person was injured every 2 minutes and 3 seconds.
- A reportable crash occurred every 56 seconds.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
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