February 23, 2015 - A two-vehicle crash during rainy conditions on U.S. Highway 96 North proved to be fatal for a Tenaha man on Saturday night, February 21, 2015.
First-responders were dispatched to the crash scene in front of the Center Country Club, five miles south of Tenaha and six miles north of Center, where the two cars collided leaving one on fire. Other travelers stopped to help those involved in the crash and the good Samaritans pulled the driver from the burning vehicle as well as extinguishing the fire. CPR was administered by the helpful travelers until emergency personnel arrived.
The Center Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene with the Center Police Department and ACE EMS who saw to the treatment of the injured drivers.
Center firemen held the scene until Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Troopers Jade Lavergne and John Hallenbeck could arrive to investigate. According to the results of the DPS investigation, at 6:40pm Daurin Andres Chel-Sanchez, 23, of Tenaha was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 96 North in a red 2005 Ford Mustang when he lost control of the vehicle causing it to travel left and into the northbound traffic lanes.
A teal 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Eduardo Antonio Perez, 19, of Center was traveling on the northbound side of the highway when the Mustang traveled into the traffic lane, which caused the Pontiac to strike the Mustang on the passenger side inflicting major damage on both cars and igniting a fire on the Mustang.
Chel-Sanchez and Perez were both transported by ACE EMS to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Center Emergency Department where Chel-Sanchez was pronounced dead on arrival by Jenny Hicks, Justice of the Peace Precinct 4. Perez was hospitalized and was treated for injuries which were not life threatening.
The crash remains under investigation and no citations have been reported at this time.
