VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — A fatal car crash occurred on State Highway 19, four miles south of Canton, Texas, resulting in one death and one injury, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — A fatal car crash occurred on State Highway 19, four miles south of Canton, Texas, resulting in one death and one injury, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The crash, which took place on August 1, 2023, at 3:56 PM, involved two vehicles. The first vehicle, a 2005 GMC Yukon, was driven by 62-year-old Jess Burks Alford III, of South Padre Island, Texas, who was reported to be uninjured.
The second vehicle, a 2005 Volkswagen GLI, was driven by 48-year-old Samuel Todd Oatman, of Canton, Texas, who was pronounced dead at the scene by Doctor Holly at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Canton, Texas. The passenger in Oatman's vehicle, 36-year-old Brittany Dawn Hunt, also of Canton, Texas, was transported to UT Health in Athens, Texas, for her injuries.
Preliminary investigations indicate both vehicles were traveling north on SH 19 when the Volkswagen, in front of the GMC, slowed to make a left turn. The GMC failed to control its speed and rear-ended the Volkswagen, causing both cars to veer off the road and into a ditch.
The investigation, led by Trooper K. Howell of the DPS Canton, is ongoing and no additional information is currently available.