3 siblings, friend die in Bastrop County crash, mother in coma.
BASTROP, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - Surveillance video was able to capture part of the crash that killed three siblings and a family friend and put a mother in a coma on SH 21 in Bastrop County and those who live in the area say crashes are becoming more and more common along SH 21.
“As far as accidents out here it's the worst I’ve seen in a long time,” said Bill Hite who lives a block away from the crash site. “Heard a loud explosion, like an 18 wheeler tire blowing up, we took off and ran over there came up on the wreck when the officers and ambulances got there."
Four crosses now stand near the crash site.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the car with the victims was stopped on the highway waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before turning onto Quarter Horse Loop.
A truck traveling in the same direction hit the car from behind, killing the passengers inside and leaving the driver in a coma.
Huntsville ISD said Sunday three of the victims were siblings and current students with the district and the other was a former student and family friend. The mother of the siblings was taking everyone to San Antonio in order to watch an older sibling perform at a drill team's national competition.
“It's dangerous because there isn't a turn lane,” said Hite when talking about the area.
Hite said he knows how dangerous it can be traveling on SH 21 as he has to get on it in order to get to work.
“There's no way to merge into traffic," Hite said. "It's pretty much take your life into your own hands just to get into traffic."
According to the Texas Department of Transportation's crash data for 2018, there was 26 crashes on the stretch of SH 21 between Bastrop and Paige, which is a little more than two a month.
Hite said he constantly sees people distracted on the road.
“Just for an example, Saturday I was driving this road to Bastrop and I encountered one woman reading a book in her lap, five or six with phones in their hands, and more than that 70, 80 miles an hour like it's nothing,” said Hite.
For now, Hite hopes people will be more cautious on SH 21 as he doesn't want to see another deadly crash happen again.
The mother is still in critical condition. DPS preliminary reports says the driver of the truck applied the brakes 0.6 seconds before the crash, indicating a possible distraction like a cellphone.
The driver of the other truck was not injured. The incident is still under investigation.