October 14, 2015 - Emergency personnel rushed to the scene of a two-vehicle crash Wednesday, October 14, 2015 three miles south of Center on U.S. Highway 96 South.
When officials arrived it was reported a man had been ejected from one vehicle involved. The vehicle was located off the roadway and the man was lying at the edge of a wooded area. First responders quickly went to the aid of the man and others from the same vehicle. Working together, emergency personnel loaded injured parties onto backboards and then carried them to waiting ambulances.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Trooper Anthony LaCount, at 12:51pm Parker Baker, 30, of Nacogdoches was driving a black Ford F-150 4X4 truck north on U.S. Highway 96 and was stopped to make a left turn into XTO Energy. A grey Ford F-150 driven by Vernon Bailey, 49, with passengers Treven Bailey, 24, and Carrie Bailey, 76, all of Center were also traveling north behind Baker.
Vernon Bailey became distracted during conversation while cresting the top of a hill before the crash scene and by the time he realized Baker was stopping, he attempted to slow down and struck the rear of the truck Baker was driving causing major damage to both vehicles. The truck Bailey was driving veered off the roadway to the right, struck a guardrail and flipped one to two times, according to witnesses, before coming to rest upright and facing the roadway.
While Center firemen and Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies worked traffic control a landing zone was established on the XTO Energy property. Carrie and Trevon Bailey were transported to Nacogodoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department. Carrie Bailey was later flown to a hospital in Tyler and has since been released. Vernon Bailey was given a life flight to LSU hospital for treatment of his injuries. Treven Bailey has also been released from the hospital. Baker was not reported to have received any injuries.
Trooper LaCount was assisted at the scene with his investigation by DPS Troopers Keith Jones, Ricardo Segura and Taylor Buster. TxDOT representatives were quick to respond to the scene and remove the debris of the severely damaged guardrail.
