County makes good on promise to install safety measures following deadly crash

GARDENDALE, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- On Wednesday, Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett promised to take swift action following a crash in Gardendale that killed one Odessa boy and left his mother and brothers seriously injured.

According to a crash report, around 1:15 p.m. on June 25, troopers responded to the intersection of FM 554 and Cottonwood Road to investigate a two-vehicle crash. Investigators said the driver of a Chevrolet truck was traveling west on Cottonwood Road toward the intersection of FM 554 and Cottonwood Road while the driver of a GMC Acadia was traveling north on FM 554 towards the same intersection; troopers said the driver of the GMC, 61-year-old Elizabeth Lucille Ertel, of Andrews, proceeded through the intersection and was struck when the driver of the Chevrolet truck, identified as 37-year-old Ashley Danielle Hillin, of Midland, failed to yield the right of way at the stop sign. Both vehicles came to rest on the northwest corner of the intersection in a field.

Both drivers were treated for minor injuries and troopers said a little boy from Odessa, Argen Garcia, was killed as a result of the crash. Additionally, several GMC passengers were injured, Argen’s brothers were taken to the hospital for treatment of “serious injuries”, as was their mother, 41-year-old Angela Nicole Garcia, of Gardendale.

Community members living in Gardendale called for area leaders to take action following that deadly crash and said that the intersection in question has seen too many serious, and often deadly crashes, since an expansion project widened FM 554.

Fawcett agreed and said drivers running the two-way stop sign has been an on-going issue for years. For reference, a two-way stop sign with flashing lights was installed for those traveling east and west on Cottonwood; those traveling north and south on FM 554 are not required to stop.

“When I first took office, I met with a TxDOT engineer…the very first thing I brought up to him was getting a stop sign. But also, signs announcing the highway intersection. My concern is the line of sight, you don’t have a visual of the highway intersection as you make that curve and you can’t see if someone doesn’t stop,” Fawcett said.

And Fawcett said that is what presents a danger currently, drivers don’t always stop for the sign and “blow through”, and those approaching on 554 don’t have a great visual of the intersection as they approach and don’t always have time to act when someone fails to yield the right of way.

Gardendale resident Karen Morris, who lives near where this crash occurred, agreed that driver behavior is the biggest issue and attributed such crashes to speed as well as drivers just ignoring, or not seeing, the stop signs until it’s too late.

“People run that stop sign left and right…the speed limit drops from 70 to 55, but people blow through here at 75…we’ve got chaos on this corner. We call this a speedway. When you can’t change driver behavior, you have to change the environment,” she said.

Because some safety measures, such as installing a stop light take time, and additional traffic studies before they can be installed, Fawcett promised to take swift action to at least help increase safety at that intersection somewhat by installing rumble strips ahead of the stop signs.

“This is a swift fix and one of the best ways to improve safety quickly. It will get your attention as you approach the stop sign and will help alert distracted drivers, which we think is what happened in this crash,” he said.

And he made good on that promise; County crews installed those strips Thursday morning.

Additionally, Fawcett said he’s working with the Texas Department of Transportation to determine if a stop light can be installed in the area.

“I think a traffic light is warranted, but you don’t want a Gardendale driver stuck at a light alone… rural intersections are tricky. They can be massively dangerous but don’t always warrant a safety improvement,” he said.

Morris said she absolutely supports a stop light at the intersection and said that change cannot come soon enough.

“This has gotten tragically ridiculous out here. We need a stop light…where people can see it, they don’t see these stop signs,” she said. “How much time do they need? I’m tired of it, I’m exhausted, I’m tired of hearing it (crashes) in my house and praying as I come out the door to see what’s going on. I know it takes time but they’ve got to move faster and get things done.”

Other Gardendale community members said they agree that a stop light is needed and have created a petition calling on leaders to act quickly. If you’d like to sign that petition, you’ll find them around the community, in the Post Office, taped to the park door, and at Gardendale Grocery.

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