TWO CALDWELL CHILDREN KILLED IN EAST TEXAS COLLISSION

  

Alcohol may have been a factor in an east Texas head on collision near Kilgore that killed two Caldwell children in the early morning Thursday.
Reports from the Garland office of the Texas Department of Public Safety say five year old Ryera Patel and his 12-year old Trish Patel were killed, when their father, driving a 2012 Toyota van struck a Ford pickup truck head on at 1:24 Thursday morning. Both children were pronounced dead at the scene.
The DPS reports say 22-year old Shelby Taylor of Henderson was driving the pickup truck in the northbound lane of highway 259, when she crossed into the northbound lane and into the path of the Toyota. Katanbahai Patel tried to swerve out of the pickup’s way, but was not able to. Heendra Patel, the children’s mother, was a passenger in the Toyota. She was last listed in critical condition at the Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview.
Taylor and her 21-year old passenger, Sara Furlong of Austin were treated and released.
The investigation is continuing but the DPS did serve a DWI warrant on Taylor.
Troopers say the children were not buckled in. The collision happened in Rusk County.