Denton, Texas — 71-year-old Claudia Jean Bell of Frisco was killed, and a husband & wife from Georgia were critically injured following a head-on accident Friday morning (11/29/2013) on westbound Highway 380.
The accident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. on US 380 (near the town of Krum, TX) between the cross streets of FM 156 and Masch Branch Road, and forced the shutdown of highway 380 in both directions for over four hours.
According to police, Claudia Bell had to be extracted from her maroon Saturn SUV (either a Saturn Outlook or Vue) by Denton Fire & Rescue personnel. Ms. Bell was taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton, but was pronounced dead. Claudia Jean Bell lived in Frisco with her son, and was returning home from a Thanksgiving trip to Lawton, Oklahoma.
The yet-to-be-named couple from Georgia were riding in a white Ford pickup truck which caught fire after the accident. Witnesses pulled the injured man and woman from the vehicle, and the blaze was extinguished by Denton firefighters. The female victim was transported to Denton Regional Medical Center and is currently listed in stable condition. The male victim was transported by PHI Air Medical to a hospital in Plano and was listed in critical but stable condition.
An investigation is continuing into the cause of the accident.
