Victim Identified in Hwy 6 Accident

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Updated: 12:49 PM Feb 9, 2010 Victim Identified in Hwy 6 Accident Heavy rain,wind and a road under construction. The combination may have played a role in the latest accident on Highway 6 North, just north of O.S.R. Posted: 3:45 PM Feb 8, 2010 Reporter: KBTX Staff

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Heavy rain,wind and a road under construction. The combination may have played a role in the latest fatal accident on Highway 6 North, just north of O.S.R.

DPS Troopers working the scene say around 3 p.m. Monday a silver truck southbound on Hwy 6 hit a wet patch of road , hydroplaned , hitting a northbound blue sedan.

Troopers say the collision killed the driver of the sedan, sending the two passengers to St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan.

The deceased has been identified as 51-year-old Sandra Ellis of Troy. Her body was taken to Heartfield Ritter Funeral Home in Hearne.

The two women injured in the crash have been identified as 59-year-old Louise Ewing of McGregor and 28-year-old Wendy Walker of Caldwell.

Ewing is being treated for head trauma. Walker's injuries are unknown.

Authorities say the three women were related and all were wearing seatbelts.

Authorities say the driver of the truck, 59-year-old Jose Zabala of Hearne, was driving with a suspended driver's license. He was arrested and taken to the Robertson County Jail. He has been charged with driving while license invalid.

Zabala's bond was set at $2,500, and after posting bail Tuesday morning, he was released. Authorities say Zabala could face additional charges.

The accident will be reconstructed in the coming days.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Stuck on the facts on Feb 10, 2010 at 05:14 PM

"There is no correlation to a suspended license or multi-tasking in the car." No correlation to a suspended license, MAYBE (depends on the reason for suspension); correlation to multi-tasking, highly likely. Hydroplaning requires not only a wet road, but hard, sudden braking, which is almost always a result of "driver inattention" as it's coded on the police report... and the suspension DOES bear on the probability that the driver didn't have insurance either, which may not be a factor in the accident, but sure will in the cost of the recovery for his victims.

Posted by: Stick to the Facts on Feb 10, 2010 at 01:53 PM

I'm amazed by the posted blogs that suggest the reason one car hydroplaned into another car is because 1. the drivers were texting, eating, talking on cell phones, and appplying make-up. and 2. the man's driver's license was suspended. Can you tell me where that is written in the report? I'm having a hard time finding that correlation. THE ROADS WERE WET... SLOW DOWN... AVOID PLANES OF WATER... There is no correlation to a suspended license or multi-tasking in the car. You know what, instead of watching what people are doing in their cars, watch the road. You're just as bad! Get the bolder out of your eye.

Posted by: To drive right on Feb 10, 2010 at 08:25 AM

"I'll bet a hundred dollars that one or both vehicles were being driven in the left inside lane." I believe the road is narrowed to one lane each way in the construction zone...which is a big part of the problem, cause folks get scrunched in but don't slow down.

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