Three-Vehicle Crash on Toll 49 Kills One

A woman lost her life in a three-vehicle crash on Toll 49 on the morning of Monday, March 8. It was reported to the authorities at around 9:15 a.m.

According to the details shared by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the accident came about in Smith County about five miles from Tyler. It involved a total of three vehicles. These were identified as a 2004 Freightliner truck with a trailer, a 2005 Toyota Tundra, and a 2019 Land Rover.

The Freightliner was headed southbound on Toll 49 at the time. It was hauling a food trailer but the trailer was not properly secured to the truck. As the truck was traveling along the roadway, the trailer became unhitched from it. It then veered away from the southbound lanes and into the northbound lanes of the road.

Once in the northbound lanes, the trailer collided with the Toyota Tundra. The Land Rover also crashed into the rear of the trailer.

The driver of the Toyota Tundra sustained critical injuries in the collision and was later pronounced dead on the scene of the crash. She was identified as Kelly Michelle Hall, 49, of Tyler. 

The Land Rover also had a single occupant in it at the time of the three-vehicle crash on Toll 49. She was identified as April Michelle Files, 42, of Houston. Files sustained serious injuries in the accident. Once the paramedics reached the scene of the crash, she was transported to the Christus Trinity Mother Francis Hospital.

The driver of the Freightliner truck remained safe in the incident and had no injuries to report. He was identified as Steven Frederick Elgin, 38, of Hughes Springs. It remains to be seen if any formal charges will be brought against the truck driver or the trucking company.

If you’re involved in a wreck, contact our Texas car accident attorneys right away.

Source: https://www.kltv.com/2021/03/08/traffic-diverted-toll-following-fatal-crash/