Accident claims two lives at Hedley

Two women lost their lives Monday night, January 6, in a two-vehicle accident on US 287 at Hedley.

DPS Sgt. Cindy Barkley said Martha Ayala-Garcia of Ft. Worth, age 30, and Samantha Petters of Arlington, also 30, were pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Pam Mason.

Ayala-Garcia was driving a 2018 Nissan Rogue eastbound on US 287 in the construction zone in Hedley at about 8:20 p.m. when she veered off the road to the south, overcorrected to the left, and lost control of the vehicle.

The Nissan traveled into westbound traffic facing north and was struck on the passenger side by a 2015 Volvo truck tractor-trailer driven by Donald Gumfory, 47, of Burleson, according to the DPS report.

Petters was a passenger in the Nissan. Another second passenger, 34-year-old Shu Wou of Arlington, was airlifted to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo with life-threatening injuries, Barkley said.

Gumfory was not injured, and everyone involved in the accident was wearing their seatbelts, the DPS reported.

While emergency personnel worked the accident, the Texas Department of Transportation reported that traffic between Clarendon and Memphis was diverted through Brice by on State Highways 70 and 256.

Monday night’s accident is still under investigation.

Late Tuesday afternoon, a second accident occurred, also in or near the the construction zone at Hedley. Official details were not available at press time, but early reports indicated three vehicles were involved.