January 19, 2017 - Rain has been pouring down on Shelby County for days causing wet roads and ideal conditions for crashes which have kept emergency responders busy.
Yesterday, January 18, 2017, a major crash occurred on US 59 a couple of miles outside of Tenaha around 4:30pm involving two vehicles and caused traffic delays for 5 o'clock travelers.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Sean Smith, a 2003 silver Chevrolet Malibu driven by Douglas Hooper, age 59, was traveling east on US 59 and a 2012 white Dodge Ram pickup was traveling west pulling a travel trailer. According to the driver of the pickup, Benjamin Alonzo, age 48, the Malibu began to spin and entered the westbound lanes where the two vehicles struck head-on.
The Malibu then spun again and struck a travel trailer before it came to rest in the eastbound lanes blocking the roadway. The Dodge pickup exited the roadway to the right and came to rest off the roadway.
Each vehicle had a passenger and both passengers along with both drivers were all transported to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department by ACE EMS.
The Tenaha Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene along with Tenaha City Marshal Jimmy Wagstaff and Deputy Marshal Darren Gray. US 59 traffic at times was completely blocked for all four lanes. The fire department negotiated the heavy amount of traffic through the crash scene taking turns between eastbound and westbound travelers.
