Woman and 3 children killed in North Texas head-on crash between SUV, tractor-trailer
A woman, two Chico Elementary School students and a toddler were killed in Wise County early Tuesday morning when their SUV crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer, investigators said.
According to a preliminary investigation report from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the 18-wheeler was traveling eastbound and the SUV was traveling westbound on Farm Road 1810 about 5:30 a.m. near County Road 1340. The SUV was attempting to pass in a no-passing zone when it hit the tractor-trailer. The accident caused the SUV to catch fire.
The four occupants of the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the tractor-trailer was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a DPS spokesperson said.
The people who were killed were identified by the DPS as 32-year-old Brandy Nicole Price, a 3-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 10-year-old. They were all in the SUV, a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox.
The 3-year-old was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the report.
Chico school district Superintendent Randy Brawner wrote in a message to the district’s families that two of the children who died were Chico Elementary students.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of two Chico Elementary students,” Brawner wrote in the message shared on Facebook. “Such a sudden loss of a classmate can have a profound effect on students even if they are not in the same class. It would not be unusual for students to behave or express themselves differently during the next few weeks.”
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Counselors were on campus Tuesday to support Chico ISD students and staff members and will continue to be available as needed, the superintendent said.
Funeral arrangements are pending, according to the school district.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
FM 1810 was closed to traffic for several hours on Tuesday morning, the Wise County Messenger reported.
Residents told the Star-Telegram that FM 1810 is known for being a dangerous road.
Kim Milburne, a Chico resident since 2003, says there have been plenty of wrecks, including fatalities on FM 1810.
“I think a lot of it is people trying to pass when there shouldn’t be passing,” Milburne said.
FM 1655, which meets FM 1810 in Chico, is also known for car accidents, according to Milburne. “It’s just a lot of not paying attention.”
Residents also commonly see trucks or 18-wheelers in crashes, but Milburne says the time it takes for trucks to react is different from other local drivers.
“A lot of people blame it on them, but it’s not always their fault,” Milburne said. The trucks are commonly seen in Chico due to the numerous rock quarries in the area.
Brandy Sides has also often seen 18-wheelers in the area. According to Sides, accidents have also happened when materials fall from trailers and the truck drivers do not stop.
Although Todd Blair has only lived in Chico for a year, he said he has witnessed reckless driving from 18-wheelers.
“There’s a bunch of them and they’re in a hurry,” Blair said. “They get paid by the load and so they pull out in front of you and it’s a scary place.”
