Latest news with #KaufmanCounty
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
Family of devoted mom killed in I-20 crash near Terrell, remembers her as loving, full of life
The family of Nicole Gregory, one of five people killed in Saturday's devastating crash on I-20, is remembering her as someone full of life and hopelessly devoted to her loved ones. The sudden loss of the 48-year-old has left a deep and painful void, one her sister, Alicia, and daughter, Hailee, are still coming to terms with. "My parents split up when I was very young, and it was me and my mom my entire life," Hailee LaJeunesse Gregory said. Hailee Gregory said growing up, her mom was at every soccer game and theater performance. They were inseparable, and she always felt loved and supported. "She was my soul mate," she said. "Anyone that knew me and my mom, they knew that we were a package deal." Last Saturday, Nicole Gregory spent the day with a close friend and was heading to watch one of her favorite bands, The Flannel Pajamas, perform when she was involved in an accident on I-20 in Kaufman County. Authorities say the driver of an 18-wheeler fell asleep at the wheel, crashing into several vehicles. "The last text that I sent her was, 'I love you and be safe,'" Hailee Gregory said. "That was the last time I got to talk to her. That was the last text that I know she opened." Now, imagining a future without her feels unbearable. "I just think I'm engaged, and she won't be at my wedding," Nicole Gregory's sister, Alicia LaJeunesse, said. "Her milestones that she's going to be missing out on... It's hard just knowing the things to come." "She wanted to be a grandmother so badly," Hailee Gregory said. "I wanted nothing more than to give her a grandchild and to see how she would be as a grandmother." What's helping them cope is the outpouring of love and support. They say Nicole Gregory had a gift for making people feel seen and never hesitated to help someone in need. In return, the community is giving back. A GoFundMe has already raised thousands of dollars to support the family.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Could autonomous trucks prevent accidents like the deadly I-20 crash, when an 18-wheeler driver fell asleep at the wheel?
Last Saturday's devastating crash on I-20 in Kaufman County left five people dead and one critically injured is raising new questions about the push toward autonomous trucking and whether the tech could help prevent crashes like this one in the future. Authorities said 27-year-old Alexis Gonzalez Companioni was driving a commercial truck and fell asleep behind the wheel, triggering a multi-vehicle pileup, killing four members of the McKellar family who were inside a Ford F-150 and Nicole Gregory, who was driving a Jeep Compass. A fifth member of the McKellar family and sole survivor from the F-150, 20-year-old Evan McKellar, was critically injured in the crash and remains in the hospital. Gonzalez-Companioni is charged with five counts of manslaughter. Julius Reeves was driving one of seven vehicles involved in the mass casualty event. He was driving a semi-truck at the very front of the crash and was rear-ended by another semi. "It's such a bad thing that has happened," Reeves said. He's recovering from a broken nose and two black eyes. "To look at the vehicles on that horrific sight ... over 30 something plus years, I've never witnessed or been involved in a situation like that," he said. "The research does show that drowsiness and drowsy driving is a common factor in crashes," Aurora's Chief Safety Officer, Nat Beuse said. "If you look at the top three, it's generally speeding, it's generally alcohol and generally belt use." Aurora recently made history as the first to commercially operate self-driving heavy-duty trucks, launching here in North Texas. Beuse said the technology eliminates human error. "All the things that plague us as humans, it doesn't have those things," he said. Some critics question how well driverless trucks handle challenges like bad weather or unpredictable traffic. Aurora said those scenarios have been thoroughly studied. "We have an off-line suite that we use through simulation," Beuse said. "You can think of our simulation suite as a collection of the world's hardest driving tests, and that is built off thousands of requirements, and those thousands of requirements result in millions of simulations, and that software has to pass through all of that before it's allowed on public roads" said Beuse. The company has publicly released a safety report, working with federal and state agencies. "We've been operating continuously, nearly seven days a week, since April, and we've accumulated nearly 15,000 miles of driverless miles already, and that number just keeps going up and up and up every week, and we've never had any incidents to speak of," Beuse said. Aurora believes autonomous trucking is the way of the future and that it could help save lives. The company plans to expand operations to El Paso and Phoenix later this year.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
North Texas truck driver injured in I-20 crash describes one of the most horrific scenes of his 30-year career
A seasoned truck driver from Balch Springs injured in the devastating multi-vehicle crash near Terrell on Saturday said it marks one of the most horrific scenes of his over 30-year career. Julius Reeves said in his over 30-year career as a truck driver, he's never seen anything like what he saw on Saturday. "It's such a bad thing that has happened, and I'm still trying to process it," said Reeves. "On the other hand, I'm trying to forget about everything as well." Authorities said 27-year-old Alexis Gonzalez Companioni was driving a commercial truck and fell asleep behind the wheel, triggering a multi-vehicle pileup, killing four members of the McKellar family who were inside a Ford F-150 and Nicole Gregory, who was driving a Jeep Compass. A fifth member of the McKellar family and sole survivor from the F-150, 20-year-old Evan McKellar, was critically injured in the crash and remains in the hospital. Reeves was driving one of seven vehicles involved in the horrific 18-wheeler accident on I-20 that killed five in Kaufman County. He was driving a semi-truck at the very front of the crash and was rear-ended by another semi. On Wednesday, Reeves was on his way to a doctor to get checked out. He suffered from injuries including a broken nose, two black eyes, and a swollen face. "To see that guy coming behind me, no, I never saw that," he said. "Everything happened so fast. So fast. I kinda lost a little consciousness." It wasn't until he got out of his truck that Reeves discovered the magnitude of the crash. "To look at the vehicles on that horrific sight, and, over 30-something plus years, I've never witnessed or been involved in a situation like that," said Reeves. He said just before he was hit, the traffic in front of him started moving, and thankfully, it did, because he said that had it not, he likely would have been pushed into the vehicles in front of him. Reeves said he doesn't want the spotlight to be on him, but instead on the five people who died. "It was a bad thing to happen on a beautiful day," Reeves said. "I wish them to know I love them and to be strong, and this will pass as well, with time... with time."
CBS News
30-06-2025
- CBS News
Witnesses shocked by deadly I-20 crash near Terrell after semi driver allegedly falls asleep
Residents who live off I-20 in Kaufman County, near where the deadly crash allegedly caused by a semi driver falling asleep at the wheel happened, said they're still shaken by what they witnessed. Five people are dead and a sixth person is in the hospital after the crash that shut down I-20 near Hiram Road on Saturday, authorities said. The crash happened at about 2:40 p.m. when the Texas Department of Public Safety said 27-year-old Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel of his 18-wheeler, failing to see stalled traffic. He struck a Ford F-150 carrying five people. Four of the five people in the Ford F-150 were pronounced dead at the scene, while the fifth was care-flighted to a hospital in critical condition, DPS said in a news release. The 18-wheeler driven by Gonzalez-Companioni was then pushed into two other 18-wheelers, causing one to jack-knife and strike a Jeep Compass, a Ford Mustang, and a Honda passenger vehicle, according to Texas DPS. One person in the Jeep Compass struck by the jack-knifed semi was also pronounced dead at the scene, DPS said. Gonzalez-Companioni faces several charges, including five counts of manslaughter, DPS said. The Terrell Volunteer Fire Department described the crash as "horrific" and declared a "mass casualty" event. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, shutting down traffic in both directions as first responders aided the injured and investigators worked to determine the cause. "You heard the crash. It was a big boom." Residents who live at TR3 RV Resort off I-20 said they heard the crash and ran through the field to help those impacted. They said the scene was so graphic, they are still shaken up a day later. "You heard the crash. It was a big boom," said Shelly Timms, who witnessed the crash. "Big, big boom. Then I heard helicopters, so I ran outside." Corinne Mulcahy said she just happened to be looking out the window and saw the crash. "So I looked up and I saw the first truck, I saw his brake lights, saw the F-150, and here comes this tractor trailer," said Mulcahy. "And I'll tell you, man, I don't know how many miles an hour he was going when he was driving, but he hit that car, and I knew he killed everybody in that truck." For hours, the highway was shut down in both directions. "People started calling me and they were like, 'Oh my goodness, do you have a restroom? We've been sitting here for three or four hours,'" said Buddha Wyrick, the property manager at TR3 RV Resort. "I didn't know they had to turn their cars off. So they were like heat exhaustion and stuff." Wyrick said dozens of people walked over to use the restroom. "They were upset and traumatized. There was a few, like, that saw it in front of them," Wyrick said. "They were like, 'We're the fourth car back,' or, 'the second car back.' And they were telling me stories." Residents said tragedies like this serve as a reminder to always be cautious.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
UPDATE: 4 dead, several injured in multi-vehicle crash backing up I-20 near Kaufman County
UPDATE: According to the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department, four people are dead, two are critically injured and several others have sustained injuries following the seven vehicle crash on I-20 westbound near Kaufman County. The injured passengers were taken to Dallas area hospitals for treatment. Three 18-wheelers and four passenger vehicles were involved and the cause of this crash is unknown at this time. The fire department said that I-20 westbound is still closed and is expected to remain closed for several hours. One eastbound lane has been opened and the Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash. KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — A multi-vehicle crash in the Kaufman County area is causing lane closures and traffic back up on I-20. Residents urged to conserve water after lightning strikes Nacogdoches water treatment plant According to the Elmo Fire Department, injuries were sustained during a five vehicle crash including two 18-wheelers near Mile Marker 505 on I-20. Elmo Fire Department is encouraging drivers to exit 512 westbound and find a different route. Texas Department of Transportation live cameras show that all westbound lanes are closed at Kaufman County Road 126. Details about the injuries are unknown and updates will be made as more information is gathered. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
