68-Year-Old Man Dies in Rollover Crash Near Ozona

A 68-year-old Pearland, Texas man died yesterday morning after losing control of his vehicle and rolling it off of Interstate 10, about 14 miles west of Ozona.

DPS officials said Virgil F. Gant, at 9:30 a.m., was traveling west on I-10 in a 2008 Ford F-250 that was towing a travel trailer. He was on the inside lane and close to Milepost 343 when, due to strong winds, the towed trailer began swaying back and forth.

“[Gant] was unable to regain control and [the] towed trailer skidded out of control and jackknifed,” said DPS.

At that point, the Ford entered into a side skid and rolled over two times, coming to rest upright facing southwest in the ditch on the north side of the roadway. The towed trailer separated from the truck during the roll and came to rest upright facing south in the ditch behind the Ford.

Gant, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene by Bree Pittman. Two additional passengers in the vehicle, Deborah Louis Gant, 67, of Pearland, and Samuel Teague, 8, of Midland, suffered non-incapacitating injuries. Both passengers were also wearing seatbelts.

DPS said the posted speed limit in the area is 80 mph, and the weather conditions were windy but dry. Trooper Nancy Mata with DPS Sonora was the investigator of this crash, and she was assisted by Trooper Michael Johnson, DPS Ozona, Trooper Juan Spivey, DPS Midland, and Trooper Joseph Brechtel, DPS Big Spring.

A preliminary crash report will be available for purchase online in 10 days at https://cris.dot.state.tx.us/public/Purchase/crashReportSearch.htm.