Five People Killed In Mt Pleasant

Photos by Tim Spice

Friday morning at 7:15 a U-Haul truck lost control, rolled and ended up blocking both Eastbound lanes of I-30 just east of Jefferson and I-30 in Mt Pleasant. There were two in the U-Haul. At 8:20 traffic failed to negotiate the traffic backed up and caused the second crash site. There were three 18-wheelers and a minivan involved in the second accident killing one truck driver. An 18-wheeler ended up on top of the van with five people. That killed the mother and three children who were under the age of ten. Paramedics airlifted the dad, and the driver of the minivan, to Tyler. The hospital lists him in stable condition in ICU. The truck drivers were from Washington State, Ohio, West Texas, Minnesota, and Tennessee. Sgt. Sylvia Jennings with the DPS did not have residences of the family. She stated that they will reopen the Interstate by sundown. The names of the fatalities are withheld until next of kin is notified.

Photo B. Kitchens