PLEASANTON, Texas – A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman said two oilfield workers were killed early Thursday in a head-on crash in Atascosa County.
DPS Trooper Jason Reyes said the wreck occurred around 6:40 a.m. on Highway 16 near FM 140, south of Jourdanton near the town of Christine.
Reyes said the two men were in a southbound Chevrolet pickup truck that tried to pass a vehicle, but slammed head-on into a northbound Ford pickup truck, critically injuring that driver.
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Witnesses said the Chevy burst into flames upon impact in front of Blalock's Dozer Service, but three of its employees used a fire extinguisher before pulling out two passengers.
But, the driver and a passenger in the backseat of the Chevy died at the scene.
DPS officials are still working to notify their next of kin, but said the driver that was killed was a 40-year-old man from Magnolia and the passenger was a 57-year-old man from Houston.
Reyes said the men in both vehicles were oilfield workers, likely on the way to a job site. He said driver of Chevy was in a passing zone but was unable to clearly see oncoming traffic.
"Definitely the fog was quite heavy this morning, so I'm sure that was a contributing factor as well," Reyes said.
The trooper said as many as three other recent fatalities have occurred on that same stretch of Highway 16.
Reyes said he urges drivers in the area to be extra cautious given the dramatic increase in oilfield traffic.