Recently, a family of four near Kilgore, Texas suffered a tragic car accident when a drunk driver collided with their vehicle. The accident claimed the life of Heema Patel and her two children, six year-old Ryera Patel and twelve year-old Trish Patel. According to local news, the Patels were struck by a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road on Highway 259.
The two children died instantly and were declared dead at the scene; however, both parents were rushed to a local hospital where Ketanbhai Patel, husband of Heema Patel, was treated for non-life threatening injuries. Heema ultimately succumbed to her injuries at the hospital while in the ICU. The driver of the vehicle that caused the accident is Shelby Whitney Taylor, a 22 year-old who is now in police custody. Taylor has been charged with two counts of intoxicated manslaughter and one count of driving while intoxicated.
The Texas Department of Public Safety liaison told local reporters that Taylor was driving a massive oil field truck when the collision occurred. The children have been handed over to the Rader Funeral Home, and the next of kin have been notified and are currently making arrangements for the funeral services. The Patel family resided in Caldwell, Texas, located roughly two hours northwest of Houston.
If you or someone you know have been injured or killed due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another or a drunk driver, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.