DPS reports multiple fatal wrecks
Nov. 20—Four people have died on Permian Basin highways since Friday night, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Two of the accidents happened in rainy conditions Saturday and one was alcohol-related.
On Friday night, Denver City resident Lorena Paz-Alvarez, 32, was driving a Nissan Versa south on FM 2055 when she failed to negotiate a curve and veered into a barrow ditch, causing her vehicle to roll just south of Denver City in Gaines County, according to DPS.
Paz-Alvarez, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the vehicle, DPS reported. She was taken to the Yoakum County Hospital where she died.
Two women from Denton were killed in a four-vehicle alcohol-related crash in Reeves County early Saturday morning.
According to DPS, McAllen resident Juan Orta-Gonzalez, 30, was driving east in the westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 20 in a Toyota Tacoma when he hit a Toyota Corolla around 3:30 a.m. The Corolla was then hit by a Volvo 760 with a trailer and a Peterbilt 579 with a trailer.
The driver of the Corolla, a 19-year-old man from Denton, was taken to Reeves County Hospital in critical condition and two passengers, Stephanie Ferrer, 44, and Leilani Ann Orr, 18, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to DPS.
None of the other drivers were injured.
Orta-Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
According to DPS, a 65-year-old man from Palm Springs, California died around 4 p.m. Saturday in a two-vehicle crash.
Johnny Leeallen Triplett was traveling west on Instate Highway 20 19 miles southwest of Torah when he failed to control the speed of his Kenworth 680 with trailer and rear-ended a stopped 2019 Freightliner Columbia that also had a trailer, DPS reported.
Triplett was pronounced dead at the scene. The 48-year-old driver of the other vehicle, a Fresno, California man, was uninjured, DPS stated.
