Four people are dead and nearly a dozen were injured after a passenger van rolled multiple times during a highway crash in Texas last week.
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According to a statement by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Tony De La Cerda to PEOPLE, the passenger van crash happened on U.S. Highway 287 in Alvord, Texas on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at around 8 a.m. local time.
The van had been traveling northbound but ended up veering off the highway.
14 people were in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Three people, including the van’s driver, were pronounced dead at the scene while another passenger died at a nearby hospital.
Two other passengers were critically injured while the other seven were deemed “non-critical.” One of the passengers had a minor injury.
During a press conference, De La Cerda confirmed that only one person had been wearing a seat belt in the passenger van. “Every vehicle has a seat belt, and if you use that seat belt,” De La Cerda stated, per WFAA. “It’s gonna save lives.”
De La Cerda then shared that the authorities did know where the passenger van was heading before the highway crash. However, he further noted that the passenger van had been traveling from Florida.
Continuing to speak about the accident, De La Cerda said, “Preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle left the roadway, the driver overcorrected, causing it to lose control of the vehicle, which caused the vehicle to roll over multiple times. There was multiple ejections due to rollover.”
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Meanwhile, Texas’ Wise County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) confirmed that three ambulances and three medical helicopters assisted in transporting those in the passenger van to a nearby hospital after the deadly highway crash.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Wise County Emergency Medical Services stated that Bowie EMS sent an ambulance to provide on-scene support. The accident is being investigated by the TX DPS. There were no further details about the passengers’ conditions, per the release.
De La Cerda also stated during the press conference that the crash scene was very difficult for the responding officers. “Because we have to be able to keep our composure,” he explained. “And be able to treat every single one to the best of our ability until the EMS arrives.”
U.S. 287 was reportedly shut down for more than three hours following the crash.