LAVON, TX (03/31/2016) — A fatal head-on collision on Thursday afternoon claimed the lives of three members of the Hacking family: Peter, Ellie, and Grayson.
UPDATE 06/24/2016: The driver who caused this accident has been indicted by a grand jury and will face three counts of manslaughter.
UPDATE 04/05/2016: According to police, the driver who caused the accident does not have a driver’s license and will be charged with criminally negligent homicide.
Police identified 36-year-old Fire Capt. Peter Hacking, his 4-year-old stepdaughter Ellie, and his son, 22-month-old Grayson, as the victims of a fatal accident that occurred on Highway 78 near Highway 205 in Lavon, Texas.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesman Sgt. Lonny Haschel stated that at around 2:15 p.m., a southbound van driven by 33-year-old Margarito Quintero-Rosales swerved into northbound traffic and struck a gray sedan, which carried Hacking and his two children. Police are not sure what caused the van to swerve.
Peter, Ellie and Grayson lost their lives at the scene.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of a beloved father, husband and firefighter,” the Nevada Fire Department said in written statement. “We appreciate the outpouring of condolences and support from our neighboring departments and community.”
The occupants of the van, Quintero, 34-year-old Fransico Rameriz, and 19-year-old Rigoberto Cruz, were all rushed to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano in serious condition.
Commentary
As the investigation continues, we checked Google StreetView images of the area to look for any clues that may offer some answers. We did notice that the roads are mainly rural, two-lane highways that are only separated by lines. A distracted driver could easily crossover into wrong way traffic and cause a crash, which may be the case here. In light of this event, we would like to offer our condolences to those affected by this tragedy.
