DPS Reports Two Fatal Crashes North of Abilene Over the Weekend

ABILENE, TX — West Texas highways were dangerous over the weekend as two separate crashes, both north of Abilene, claimed a total of three lives.

The first crash reported happened Friday morning at 7 a.m. According to the Texas DPS, a Chevy pickup and Ford Explorer collided head-on near McCaulley in Fisher County. McCaulley is northwest of Abilene on FM 57.

The DPS report states that Jose E. Castorena, male, 51, of Knox City, was driving his 2008 Chevrolet pickup southbound on FM 57 about 0.4 miles north of McCaulley. Driving northbound at the same time was David W. Wilcox Jr, 22, of Hamlin, in a 2008 Ford Explorer.

Wilcox’s Explorer drifted into the southbound lane and collided head-on with the Chevy driven by Castorena.

The Chevy pickup driver survived but his two passengers, James Nathan Pierce, 45, of Haskell; and Cruz Fernandez-Valles, 42, of Munday were both killed. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two drivers were rushed to Hendrick Medical Center with serious injuries.

DPS reported that no one was wearing a seatbelt in that crash and the road was wet because it was raining. KTXS has more pictures.

Location of the crash:

Saturday, tragedy struck near Throckmorton, northeast of Abilene. A DPS report states that an elderly couple in a pickup driven by the husband slammed into a parked 18-wheeler, killing the husband.

The report stated that Joseph Wood, 37, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma had parked his 1994 Kenworth truck tractor and semi-trailer on the left, eastbound side of U.S. 380, about seven miles outside of town. The left side of the truck was partially in the eastbound lane.

Saturday morning, at around 9:30 a.m., the couple, the Richards, were eastbound on U.S. 380 and struck the left, rear corner of Wood’s semi-trailer.

Killed after the crash was Thomas Sherod Richards Jr, 84, of Throckmorton. His passenger, Harma Flojuan Richards, 81, also of Throckmorton, was seriously injured and transported to a Lubbock hospital.

The truck driver was uninjured. DPS reported everyone was wearing a seatbelt.

DPS reported the skies were cloudy and the roadway dry.

Location of the crash (DPS report said 7 miles outside of Throckmorton in U.S. 380. They did not give a direction. The map assumes east.):