At least 11 people were killed and a dozen others injured Sunday in a single-vehicle crash near Berclair in Goliad County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Around 7 p.m., the driver of a Ford F-250 super-duty pickup veered off of U.S. 59 while heading north and crashed in unincorporated Goliad County, DPS spokesman Gerald Bryant said.
"The truck left the roadway and struck two very large trees," Bryant said.
A man who claimed to have been the truck's driver was ejected but is alive, Bryant said, and six others inside the cab of the truck were pronounced dead at the scene. Another five victims outside of the pickup also died at the scene, he said.
According to Bryant, a total of 23 people of "a variety of ages," including some children, were in the vehicle. The victims have not yet been identified, he said.
A dozen people were taken to various hospitals: six were transported to San Antonio, Bryant said, and the others were taken to hospitals in Victoria and Corpus Christi. Four victims were flown to hospitals from the scene, while the rest were taken by ground ambulances.
Bryant said one of the victims who was taken to a Corpus Christi hospital is believed to have died after being hospitalized, but officials could not immediately confirm a 12th fatality.
"It's been very chaotic here, and it's very traumatic," Bryant said, adding that most residents probably weren't aware of the crash Sunday night. "It's only first responders out here, and it's very solemn."
The incident halted traffic on U.S. 59 in the area north of Berclair, which is located about 100miles southeast of San Antonio, between Beeville and Goliad.
Bryant said the cause of the crash remains under investigation, and likely will take days to determine. The truck is registered to an owner in Houston, he said.
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Around 7 p.m., the driver of a Ford F-250 super-duty pickup veered off of U.S. 59 while heading north and crashed in unincorporated Goliad County, DPS spokesman Gerald Bryant said.
"The truck left the roadway and struck two very large trees," Bryant said.
A man who claimed to have been the truck's driver was ejected but is alive, Bryant said, and six others inside the cab of the truck were pronounced dead at the scene. Another five victims outside of the pickup also died at the scene, he said.
According to Bryant, a total of 23 people of "a variety of ages," including some children, were in the vehicle. The victims have not yet been identified, he said.
A dozen people were taken to various hospitals: six were transported to San Antonio, Bryant said, and the others were taken to hospitals in Victoria and Corpus Christi. Four victims were flown to hospitals from the scene, while the rest were taken by ground ambulances.
Bryant said one of the victims who was taken to a Corpus Christi hospital is believed to have died after being hospitalized, but officials could not immediately confirm a 12th fatality.
"It's been very chaotic here, and it's very traumatic," Bryant said, adding that most residents probably weren't aware of the crash Sunday night. "It's only first responders out here, and it's very solemn."
The incident halted traffic on U.S. 59 in the area north of Berclair, which is located about 100miles southeast of San Antonio, between Beeville and Goliad.
Bryant said the cause of the crash remains under investigation, and likely will take days to determine. The truck is registered to an owner in Houston, he said.
[email protected]
Twitter: @EvaRuth