Fatal Northeast Texas Crashes Over the Weekend

At 1:20 Saturday afternoon, Troopers responded to a fatal crash on US-69, approximately two miles south of Mineola in Wood County. The preliminary report indicates that the driver of a 1998 Ford Explorer was traveling north on US-69 when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to a back left tire separation. The vehicle traveled off the roadway into the eastbound ditched where it rolled over, coming to rest on its left side. The unrestrained driver, Robert Guy Marino, of Tyler, was transported to UT-Health–Tyler. His passenger, Cathy Marks, 64, of Tyler, was pronounced at the scene by Judge Holland and was taken to Beaty Funeral Home in Mineola. The crash remains under investigation.

At 10:55 Sunday morning, Troopers responded to a fatal crash on FM 593, approximately ten miles northeast of Gilmer in Upshur County. The report indicates that the driver of a 2002 Ford Explorer was traveling eastbound on FM 593 approaching a roadway’s left curve. The vehicle went off the road to the right, overturned, and ejected the unrestrained driver, Elmer Leroy Blankenship, 53, of Pittsburg. Blankenship was pronounced at the scene by Judge Lyle Potter and taken to Croley Funeral Home in Gilmer. They transported Denise Murphy, 22, a passenger from Pittsburg to Good Shepard Medical Center–Longview in stable condition. The crash remains under investigation.