The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Medical Services worked a second fatal accident on Interstate 10 Friday in Orange County. The accident happened just hours after a fatal accident on the Purple Heart Memorial Bridge.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Stephanie Davis tells 12News HD the accident happened in the westbound lanes near Old Hwy 90 (Mile Marker 861) at 11 a.m. just as the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 were being re-opened from the first accident.
Witnesses on the scene say there are 6 vehicles involved in the accident. They include 2 pickup trucks, 1 SUV and 3 cars.
Officials have says 43 year old Thor Schmidt os Sulphur, LA died in the accident. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Rodney Price. A total of nine people were involved in the crash.
A Department of Public Safety Trooper on the scene says it appears the accident happened as a result of back-up traffic from the accident that happened earlier in the morning.
Press Release from DPS
At approximately 11:00am, there was a multiple vehicle crash
in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Vidor, Texas. The crash involved six (6) passenger
vehicles and killed one man from Sulphur, Louisiana.
The driver of a 2009 Chevrolet pickup truck was travelling
westbound in the inside lane (fast lane) of Interstate 10. The drivers of a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis
car, a 2012 Chevrolet car, a 2001Cadillac, a 2004 Dodge truck and a 2012
Lincoln car were all stopped due an earlier fatal crash on the Interstate. The driver of the 2009 Chevrolet pickup
truck was travelling at an unsafe speed and struck the 2001 Mercury Grand
Marquis in the rear of the vehicle which caused a chain reaction involving the
other vehicles listed above.
This fatal crash involved nine (9) individuals, including
the deceased victim. The driver of the
2001 Mercury Grand Marquis was 43 year old, Thor Schmidt of Sulphur, Louisiana. Schmidt was pronounced dead at the scene by
Justice of the Peace, Rodney Price.
There were no other reported injuries.
All westbound lanes of Interstate 10 near mile marker 861 in
Vidor, Texas remained closed until 1:35pm. At this time, all eastbound and
westbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Orange and Jefferson Counties are open.
This is an ongoing investigation and details will be
released as they become available.
