One Dead In East Texas Crash

Troopers responded to a two vehicle fatal crash on FM-3053, five miles west of Kilgore in Gregg County. Preliminary crash investigation revealed that the driver of a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, Catarino Gallardo Mata, 76, of Overton was traveling west on CR-2729 and disregarded the stop sign at FM-3053 when he was struck by a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 that was northbound on FM-3053. The driver of the Dodge was identified as Robert John Martin, 50, of Overton.  Mata was transported to UT-Health, Tyler where he was pronounced by Judge Shamburger early the next morning.  Martin and three passengers in his vehicle, a 13 and a 14-year-old female and a nine-year-old male juvenile, were transported to Good Shepard Medical Center, Kilgore, where they were treated and released.

The crash remains under investigation. All occupants were shown to have been wearing seatbelts.