August 19, 2016 - Emergency personnel responded to two crashes at the same scene sometime after midnight on Friday, August 19, 2016 on U.S. Highway 84 two miles west of Joaquin.
The crashes occurred as the result of a large tree falling across the roadway. Two pickup trucks were involved in the initial crash and an 18-wheeler traveling on the other side of the roadway collided with the tree in the second crash.
The roadway was blocked for several hours while Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department and Tenaha Volunteer Fire Department redirected traffic away from the scene on both sides of the incidents.
TxDOT was on scene clearing the tree debris from the roadway to assist the vehicles in being removed from the area.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Sean Smith, at 12:35am a blue 1997 Fird F-150 driven by Lea Rae Satterfield, 24, of Early with passenger Emerson Hansen was westbound on U.S. Highway 84. Multiple trees had fallen in the roadway and as Satterfield traveled through a blind curve he could not see the obstruction in time. He attempted to take evasive action by veering left; however, he struck a tree.
At that time Trevor Blain May, 19, of Joaquin with passenger Clay Adkison, 17, was eastbound in a black 2004 Ford F-150 through a blind curve and didn't have time to stop. May took evasive action verring to the right, yet struck the tree and the back left of the other pickup truck.
Trooper Smith reported the second crash to have occurred at 12:39am when a white 1999 Volvo truck-tractor pulling a trailer driven by Jeffery Lynn Buffington, 51, of Spiro, Ok. was westbound on U.S. Highway 84. Buffington traveled through a blind curve, attempted to take evasive action and unable to stop, struck the tree.
No citations were issued and no injuries were reported as a result of the crash.
