An Amarillo youth lost her life and two friends were hospitalize following a one vehicle accident near Clarendon early Friday morning, August 3.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that a 14-year-old girl, who was driving at the time, was pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the Peace Pat White. Two other 14-year-old girls were transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo. One had non-life-threatening injuries, and another was still hospitalized Tuesday morning.
The girls were traveling southeast on US 287 about 1.8 miles southeast of Clarendon in a 2006 Chevrolet Z-71 pickup at about 3:22 a.m. DPS says the truck left the road and traveled into the center median, across a cross over, and struck a delineator post before traveling into the northwest inside lane of US 287. The driver over-corrected to the left and lost control of the vehicle, which began to rollover, went airborne, and crashed into a large tree before coming to rest on its top in the center median facing north.
The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The passenger, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, was wearing a seatbelt. It is unknown if the critically injured second passenger was wearing a seatbelt or not. She was partially ejected.
DPS Trooper Lynn Mays Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash and also said the accident is still under investigation. Mays also said that DPS cannot release the girls’ names as they are all minors.
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