A two-car accident on Jan. 21 resulted in the death of a 37-year-old man from Athens. According to reports after the crash, the deceased man was a former Henderson County deputy. The fatal accident happened in Athens while the man was driving a truck eastbound on Loop 7. At about 1:30 p.m., the man crashed head-on into a westbound vehicle that was being operated by a 77-year-old man from Kemp.
Medical personnel transported both of the drivers who were involved in the motor vehicle crash to a hospital in Tyler. The 37-year-old man was pronounced dead at 3:22 p.m., and his body was transferred to Hannigan Smith Funeral Home in Athens. The day after the accident, the 77-year-old driver was reported to be in serious condition.
A Department of Public Safety trooper said that a preliminary investigation was conducted after the fatal accident. Investigators determined that the crash happened after the 37-year-old driver crossed the center line and entered the path of oncoming traffic. It is unclear what factors may have caused the driver to lose control of his vehicle.
When a person is injured in an accident that involves a wrong-way driver, the injured victim may be entitled to seek financial compensation. If the negligent driver was killed in the crash, a lawsuit can still be filed against the estate or personal representative of the driver. An attorney can in some cases help a car accident victim to gather all of the evidence that is needed to prove liability. Car accident victims often seek compensation for their medical expenses and lost wages through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: KETK NBC, “Former deputy killed in Henderson Co. crash”, Jan. 22, 2015
