Two Dead In Separate East Texas Crashes

Troopers responded to a fatal crash on FM-346, 5.5 miles southwest of Bullard in Cherokee County. The investigators preliminary crash report indicates that a 1998 Chevrolet S-10 had become disabled and was being pushed south in the lane of travel on FM-346. The driver and passenger had gotten out to push the vehicle. At that same time, the driver of a 2009 Ford Fusion, Dakota Aaron Kinnett, 24, of Bullard, was traveling south on FM-346 and was not initially able to see the disabled vehicle, swerved to the right to avoid striking them. The Ford missed striking the Chevrolet but struck the passenger, Lanika Michelle Russell, 35, of Bullard, that was helping to push the disabled vehicle. Russell was transported to UT-Health-Tyler were she later died.  The crash remains under investigation.

Troopers responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash at the intersection of SH-19 and FM-2752, three miles south of Athens in Henderson County. The investigator’s preliminary report indicates that the driver of a 2010 Dodge Dakota, Bryan Denman, 57, of Canton, was traveling southbound on SH 19 and had moved into the turning lane to make a left turn on to FM-2752. Denman failed to yield right of way, while turning left, and was struck by a northbound 2017 Ford Fiesta driven by James Donovan Trahan, 17, of Eustace. Lillian Lucile Gayton, 62, of Eustace, a passenger in the Fiesta, was transported to UT-Health-Athens where she was later pronounced by Judge Milton Adams. Another passenger, an eight-year-old male, was transported to Children’s Medical Center-Dallas. Trahan and Denman were transported to UT-Health-Athens in stable condition. The crash remains under investigation.