HILL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Investigators now say drunk driving looks like a factor in a series of crashes involving five vehicles that killed two people in Hill County.
The incident happened on State Highway 171 north of Hillsboro Saturday night.
WATCH HERE:
Texas Department of Public Safety told us troopers responded to the crash on SH-171 near County Road 4223 at approximately 8:30 p.m.
According to a statement from DPS, a farm tractor towing farm equipment was traveling northbound with its lights flashing when a northbound Ford Fiesta passed a pickup truck, re-entered the right lane, and crashed into the farm equipment, causing it to detach.
Shortly after, a southbound Chevrolet Traverse and a southbound Ford F-150 were involved in a crash with objects in the roadway. The driver and a passenger of the F-150, along with a passenger from the Traverse, exited their vehicles and were standing in the roadway when they were struck by another vehicle.
Both occupants of the F-150, identified Monday morning as 39-year-old Zachary Barton and 39-year-old Katherine Barton, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford Fiesta and the passenger from the Traverse were transported to area hospitals in critical condition.
A DPS representative said "Investigators suspect alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the initial crash."
The 12-year-old who exited the Chevrolet is still in critical condition, authorities said.
Alcohol may have been a factor in the initial crash, investigators said.
No other injuries have been reported. Next of kin have not been notified. The investigation remains active.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
