March 4, 2019 - U.S. Highway 96 at the intersection of FM 2026 (Folsom Chapel Road) was the scene of a major two-vehicle crash Friday, March 1, 2019.
Emergency personnel responded to the well-known crash location Friday afternoon. One vehicle was left in a ditch where U.S. 96 and FM 2026 meet, while the other vehicle involved had traveled a long distance down the highway where it had obviously rolled before coming to a stop.
While Center Fire Department firemen and Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies worked traffic control and Center Police Officers were on scene, Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the crash.
According to Cpl. Jimmy Faulkner, a black Altima driven by a 16-year-old minor driver of Center was northbound on U.S. 96 and was stopped to make a left turn onto FM 2026. At that time a black Ford F-150 driven by Wayland Carl Whiteside, 33, of Joaquin was also northbound when Whiteside failed to control speed and struck the Nissan in the rear.
The Nissan traveled into the ditch where it spun around and came to rest facing south. The Ford traveled into the southbound traffic lanes where it rolled and skid on the roadway before coming to rest facing south.
Whiteside was transported from the scene by ambulance to Nacogdoches Medical Center - Shelby Emergency Department for examination. The minor driver was later taken by private vehicle to the hospital.
