LIVE OAK COUNTY — 12/22/25 UPDATE:
Sgt. Harold Mallory with the Texas Department of Public Safety has confirmed that the 16-year-old girl who died in yesterday's crash and her family traveling in a Ford Explorer were from Lafayette, Indiana.
Due to the victim's age, DPS will not release the girl's identity.
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ORIGINAL:
A fatal multi-vehicle crash involving several passenger and commercial vehicles shut down part of US Highway 281 south of Three Rivers.
The fatal accident occurred when a GMC Yukon traveling east on FM 1042 ran a stop sign at U.S. Highway 281. An 18-wheeler heading south on Highway 281 struck the SUV, causing the 18-wheeler to flip onto its side and spill its cargo across the highway.
The driver of the GMC Yukon was not injured but the accident DPS said the driver caused set off a chain reaction involving other vehicles, including a Ford Explorer carrying, two adults and four juvenile from Indiana. All who were taken to Christus Spohn Beeville. A 16-year-old passenger died from her injuries sustained in the crash.
The initial collision triggered a chain reaction involving several other vehicles. A Chevrolet Silverado carrying three adults, another 18-wheeler with an adult male driver, and a Nissan Rogue occupied by one adult female were all involved in secondary crashes.
The Silverado driver sustained facial injuries and was taken to a San Antonio hospital. The drivers of the second 18-wheeler and the Nissan Rogue were both transported to a Beeville hospital for treatment.
The area where the accident happened was closed to traffic for nearly 9 hours.
The crash remains under investigation by the Department of Public Safety.
