Friday, August 23, 2024
A fatal two-vehicle wreck in Lampasas County on Wednesday has left five people dead – two from Copperas Cove and a family of three from Leander, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Texas DPS Troopers responded to the incident at 5:45 a.m. on U.S. Highway 281.
According to a Texas DPS crash report, a 2004 Cadillac CTS, driven by 31-year-old Jacinto Gudino Duran of Copperas Cove, was traveling southbound on U.S. 281 at milepost 406. The vehicle also contained 23-year-old Yosilu Gasman Martinez-Lopez of Copperas Cove.
At the same time, a 2024 Kia Telluride, driven by 45-year-old Arvind Mani of Leander, was traveling northbound on U.S. 281. The two passengers of the Kia were identified as 40-year-old Pradeepa Arvind and 17-year-old Andril Arvind.
According to the investigating trooper, evidence at the scene revealed that the rear right tire of the Cadillac had a blowout. Witness accounts reported that the Cadillac had passed them at a “very high rate of speed,” the report states.
The blowout caused the Cadillac to lose control, enter a side skid, and cross into the northbound lanes and into the path of the Kia. The Kia then collided into the passenger side of the Cadillac in the inside northbound lane, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
Texas DPS confirmed that all passengers and drivers in both vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene. The next of kin have been notified.
According to a report by the Austin-American Statesman, the occupants of the Kia left one surviving immediate family member, 14-year-old Adiryan Arvind, who was not in the vehicle with them at the time of the crash.
A GoFundMe page has been created for Adiryan following the loss of his family, which has raised over $800,000.
