Two Killed While Making U-Turn on U.S. 277 Tuesday Night

Two adults in their late 20s were killed on U.S. 277 about 1.4 miles south of Bronte Tuesday night when the driver of their Jeep Wrangler attempted a U-turn across the highway. The driver of a Dodge Durango that crashed into them was sent to Shannon Medical Center with incapacitating injuries.

According to a report provided by Texas DPS, Garrett Glenn Jackson, 27, of Tennyson was attempting to make a U-turn in a 1988 Jeep Wrangler to head south on the highway. He stopped for an unknown reason, facing west, DPS said.

Meanwhile, a 2005 Dodge Durango driven by Benjamin Keith Kirchner, 33, of Iowa Park was traveling northbound on U.S. 277. The Durango struck the left front quarter of the Wrangler. The Wrangler came to rest upright facing north in the northbound lane of U.S. 277. The Durango came to rest upright facing north in the northbound lane of U.S. 277 in front of the Wrangler.

DPS reported that none of the victims in either vehicle were wearing seatbelts.

The passenger in the Wrangler, Natalie Renee Langston, 27, from Corsicana was pronounced dead by Coke County Justice of the Peace Grady Coulter. The Wrangler’s driver, Jackson, was pronounced dead by Tom Green County Justice of the Peace J.P. McGuire.

DPS said that the road was dry and the skies were clear. The crash happened at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday night. The speed limit where the crash occurred is 75 mph.

Trooper Jessica Springer was the investigating DPS officer.