A tragic accident over the holiday weekend led to the loss of both parents for three Houston children.
On Saturday night, the family of five was on their way home to Houston from a family vacation in Colorado. They were traveling just outside Fort Stockton when a Toyota 4Runner veered the median and into oncoming traffic, crashing into the family’s passenger van. The parents, who were in the front of the car, were killed upon impact.
The three children, ages 6, 8 and 9, were in the back of the van. The youngest only received a few broken bones, but both of the older children sustained spinal injuries. All three were immediately transferred to a hospital in Lubbock. The kids were later moved from the hospital in Wes Texas to the Texas Medical Center in Houston, where the oldest two children underwent surgery for their spinal injuries.
The driver of the Toyota 4Runner was also injured and transported to the University medical Center in Lubbock. A passenger in the SUV was also killed at the scene of the fatal car accident.
Investigators have not determined the exact cause of the car accident yet, but law enforcement officials do not believe that alcohol played a role.
Neighbors, friends and family gathered en masse at the funeral last week to mourn the loss of the well-respected couple who was active in their community. There is no word on what will happen to the children once they are released from the hospital.
Source: Houston Chronicle, “KHOU: Children hurt in crash that killed parents in Houston hospital,” 7/7/11.