HEARTLAND, Texas — The Crandall and Heartland communities are in mourning after a tragic crash on Thursday afternoon claimed the life of a 14-year-old Crandall Middle School student.
HEARTLAND, Texas — The Crandall and Heartland communities are in mourning after a tragic crash on Thursday afternoon claimed the life of a 14-year-old Crandall Middle School student.
Police say distracted driving was a factor in the deadly crash.
At approximately 4:20 p.m., on Thursday, January 26, 2017, emergency personnel responded to the crash on County Road 257.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Sgt. Kyle Bradford says the vehicle was traveling eastbound on County Road 257 when, according to witness statements, the 17-year-old driver “received a phone call which diverted his attention from the road.”
The vehicle left the roadway, overturned several times, and struck a barbed-wire fence at which time it engulfed in flames, according to Bradford.
14-year-old Ashley Nelson, a Crandall Middle School student and younger sister to the driver, was pronounced deceased on scene.
The Crandall Independent School District had grief counselors available on Friday morning and a memorial service is planned for next week.
Family friends and classmates offered prayers and condolences to the family as the remembered Ashley as kind, sweet, and caring.
A GoFundMe account has been established by the family for funeral-related expenses, here.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, at 4:30 p.m., at the First Community Church of Crandall which is located at 1401 Trinity Drive.
The driver sustained non-life threatening injuries and has since been released from the hospital.
The crash occurred just north of Farm-to-Market (FM) 2757 and south of the Heartland community and sparked a large grass fire and resulted in a brief power outage to nearby homes.
