May 18, 2026 - U.S. Highway 59 between Timpson and Tenaha at Flat Fork Creek was the scene of a major crash incident involving a pickup truck and trailer that had left the roadway into a creek on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at around 7:22am.
In response to medical needs of one person involved in the incident, a life-flight helcopter landed on the highway with assistance from fire departments that had responded to the scene. Three fire departements responded to assist those involved in the crash and they included Tenaha Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), Timpson VFD and Center Fire Department.
Traffic in both directions was completely shutdown as EMS personnel transported the injured party from the crash to the helicopter before it carried the man from the scene. Fire department personnel cut the roof from the truck to safely extricate at least one individual from insde.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), a white 1997 Ford F-350 towing a box trailer driven by Michael Gervais, 77, of Loveland, Colorado was traveling west when, for an unreported reason, the driver of the Ford failed to drive in a single lane and left the roadway to the right where it struck a guardrail and continued down an embankment before crossing over a creek and striking an embankment on the opposite side of the creek.
Gervais was not reported to have received injury.
The passenger in the vehicle who was identified as Charles Parson, 81, of Estero, Florida was transported to L.S.U. Shreveport for treatment of possible life-threatening injuries by helicopter.
According to DPS, this is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
The crash was investigated by DPS Trooper Matt Chandler.
Shelby County Sheriff's Department personnel also assisted at the scene of the incident.
