A Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride on a Texas highway ended in tragedy for four motorcyclists this weekend.
A 30-year-old Houston man was driving southbound on Texas 19 just outside Canton, Texas, on Sunday afternoon when he swerved onto the northbound lane and struck two motorcycles. The impact of the car -motorcycle collision caused the car to burst into flames.
Both motorcycles had two riders on them. All four motorcyclists were killed in the fatal motorcycle accident.
The car also had two passengers in addition to the 30-year-old driver. His girlfriend and her 3-year-old son were sleeping in the backseat — neither of whom were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. All three people in the car were injured in the accident and transported for further medical treatment.
The three year old was taken to Cooks Children Hospital in Fort Worth and kept overnight. He was released Monday into the custody of his father in Houston. The driver’s girlfriend received severe facial contusions and underwent surgery for her injuries at the Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. She remains in the hospital.
The driver of the car was also taken to Mother Frances Hospital. He was treated for lacerations and minor burns, then released later that evening into police custody. He is currently being held on $2 million bail.
Alcohol was not involved in a fatal motorcycle crash, says a Texas Department of Safety trooper.
Source: The Houston Chronicle, “Officials: Alcohol not a factor in fatal crash,” 7/5/11.