HARTLEY, TX — A crash early Christmas morning left two adults and four children killed and one injured on US Highway 87, about seven miles east of Hartley.
According to a press release from Hartley County Fire and EMS, the crash happened around 12:26 a.m. when a Honda Pilot SUV quickly changed lanes and collided with a 2016 Freightliner M2 delivery truck.
First responders arrived to find the highway blocked by the SUV. The release states the crash caused the truck’s trailer to detach, and the SUV caught fire, becoming fully engulfed in flames.
The six victims were all from Cactus, Texas, and were confirmed dead at the scene. They have been identified as Jaredi Mpaweingabire, 31, the SUV driver, along with his five passengers: Mapendo Olga, 28, and four young children, ages 5, 6, 4, and 2.
Authorities have confirmed that the adults were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash but did not state whether the children were properly secured in the back seat.
The driver of the Freightliner truck was transported to Coon Memorial Hospital in Dalhart with non-life-threatening injuries. The crash is still under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and officials have stated that the cause of the vehicle’s sudden lane change is unclear.
The Dalhart Volunteer Fire Department and AMR Dalhart assisted Hartley Fire and EMS at the crash scene and closed the highway for several hours.
Updates will be provided as more information is released.
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