Horrific Fatal Crash Claims Three in Runnels County

BALLINGER, TX — A fatal crash occurred in Runnels County on Tuesday, July 31 at 1:18 p.m. The accident claimed the lives of three of the four people involved.

According to the preliminary crash report, a 2018 Chevrolet Cruze was traveling south on SH 158, while a 2015 Ford Escape was traveling north. The Chevy Cruze went off the east side of the road, turned back onto the roadway, and crashed head on with the Escape.

The person driving the Chevy Cruze was identified as Taron Lamar Gipson, male, 22, of Calvert. He was pronounced dead at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo. The preliminary report stated Gipson was not wearing his seatbelt at the time.

The driver and one passenger of the Ford Escape were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as Chengiu Huo, male, 51, of San Antonio and Huixiang Zhang, female, 46, of Houston.

A third passenger, a 17-year-old male, from the Escape was transported to Shannon Medical Center with serious injuries.

Sergeant Fred Biddle, with the Texas Department of Public Safety in Abilene, said, the crash was still under investigation. Information may change, be corrected, or added based on the investigator’s findings.