December 23, 2016 - Fog and smoke contributed to two crashes Thursday morning, one of which was an emergency response vehicle arriving on scene of the first crash.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Jimmy Faulkner, a cluster of crashes occurred on US Hwy 96 Thursday, December 22, 2016. The first crash was at 5:45am in San Augustine County near the Shelby County line and the San Augustine Fire Department was dispatched to the scene.
A 2013 Chevrolet 1-ton pickup driven by Kenneth Tarver, 57 of Bronson, was traveling north on US 96. Behind Tarver’s pickup was a 1998 green Chevrolet 3/4-ton pickup driven by Jimmy Wimberley, 62 of Broaddus. Due to heavy fog and smoke in the area, Wimberley’s visibility was limited and he failed to control the speed of his pickup rear-ending Tarver’s pickup.
Wimberley was injured and transported to CHI Hospital in San Augustine.
The second collision occurred at 6:16am for the same contributing factor as the first crash, poor visibility from smoke and fog.
A San Augustine fire truck driven by Ernest Consford, 62 of San Augustine, with passenger Joseph Consford, 39 of San Augustine just pulled up to the scene of the first crash and stopped when a Freightliner failed to control speed and struck the back of the fire truck.
Upon seeing the fire truck at the last minute, the driver of the 2016 white Freightliner 18-wheeler, Brian Button, 40 of Woodville, Texas, attempted to avoid the collision but still struck the rear of the emergency vehicle.
No other injuries were reported and Wimberley and Button were both citied for failure to control speed.
The crash was investigated by DPS Trooper Jimmy Faulkner.
