Minivan Plows an Empty Cotton Field

SAN ANGELO, TX — A strange crash occurred on Knickerbocker Road en route to Dove Creek at approximately 3:15 p.m. Saturday. According to radio communications, the Dove Creek Volunteer Fire Department was alerted to a single-vehicle rollover in the middle of a cotton field.

By the time our team arrived, the cotton had been plowed and harvested. We observed an upright minivan that appeared to have rolled at least once after smashing through a high fence and landing in the field. Nearby, a 23‑year‑old man—identified as the driver—stood by his vehicle. He declined treatment and an ambulance ride, instead remaining by his crashed minivan while keeping his cell phone pressed to his ear as he sought help.

A Department of Public Safety trooper initiated an investigation as local volunteers directed traffic, temporarily reducing Knickerbocker Road to a single lane. The first witness interviewed was a local worker driving a 3/4‑ton flatbed truck. Although he did not see the crash occur, he witnessed the immediate aftermath and stopped in case his assistance was needed.

Evidence from skid marks and other damage suggested that the minivan, traveling southwest, suddenly veered sharply left for unknown reasons. The vehicle then blasted through a high fence at roughly a 45‑degree angle and traveled about 75 yards into the field, likely rolling at least once. Despite his evident shock, the driver managed to exit the vehicle and return to the road, where he awaited his DPS interview with his phone still pressed to his ear.

An empty San Angelo Fire Department EMS ambulance departed the scene around 3:30 p.m. After gathering witness accounts, our team also left the area. On a subsequent trip at about 4 p.m., we passed the scene again. DPS was still on-site, and the driver remained, still holding his phone to his ear, as no one had yet arrived to assist him. The temperature was cold, with a wind chill around 30°F and a steady 20‑mph breeze from the north, while the roadways, though damp, were set against a clear but cloudy sky.