June 8, 2017 - Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) personnel, Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department and Jamie Hagler, Constable Precinct 2, were dispatched to a major two-vehicle crash in the Patroon Community Thursday, June 8, 2017 involving a truck-tractor and a pickup truck.
According to Texas DPS Trooper Keith Jones, at 1:01pm Richard Sholar, Jr., 33, of Center was southbound on State Highway 87 in a white 2016 Dodge 3500 pickup truck and had stopped for oncoming traffic as he prepared to turn onto FM 2261.
At that time, a white 2007 Freightliner pulling a trailer for hauling logs driven by Hector Reyes, 25, of Center was also traveling south on SH 87 behind Sholar. Reyes failed to control speed and took faulty evasive action, steering left to avoid striking the Dodge; however, the trailer he was pulling collided with the driver's side of the vehicle, causing major damage.
The Freightliner continued to travel through the parking lot of the Patroon Grocery store before finally coming to a halt back on the roadway. No major damage was visible on the trailer. The Dodge careened off the highway to the right and into the barrow ditch where it came to rest in a line of trees with extensive damage to the cab of the truck.
ACE EMS arrived at the scene and transported Sholar from the scene to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department for observation. Sholar was not reported to have received any obvious injury resulting from the crash.
Reyes was not reported to have received any injury as a result of the incident. He was issued a citation for fail to control speed.
DPS Trooper Jones was assisted with the crash investigation by DPS Trooper Richard Hill.
