According to the Amarillo Globe-News, two men sustained fatal injuries after a head-on collision that occurred on U.S. Highway 87 near the Canadian River on Thursday morning.
Details of the Fatal Crash
The crash occurred at around 6:30 a.m. when a driver in a pickup truck crossed over the center median and crashed head-on with another vehicle.
The driver of a northbound vehicle, Barry Proffitt, 61, died in the accident. The driver of the southbound pickup truck that crossed the median, 49-year-old Jack Jaeger, also died in the collision. According to the Globe-News, Jaeger’s vehicle burst into flames following the fatal wreck.
A passenger in Proffitt’s truck, 24-year-old Barrett Coon, received treatment at an Amarillo hospital after being airlifted from the scene. Coon sustained non-life-threatening injuries, reports the Globe-News.
Officials are unsure why Jaeger crossed the median. The fatal crash is currently under investigation.
Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Accidents
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):
- The 2014 death toll of 3,534 was an increase of 3.70% from the 3,408 deaths recorded in 2013.
- 581 people died in head-on crashes in 2014.
- Based on reportable crashes in 2014: 1 person died every 2 hours 29 minutes, 1 person was injured every 2 minutes 13 seconds, and 1 reportable crash occurred every 66 seconds.
