DPS Issues Its Report Of Jan. 31 Wreck That Injured Sheriff Korenek
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) released the investigator’s report for the Jan. 31 one-vehicle crash that injured Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek.
The report says the wreck happened at 12:34 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31, near the intersection of Rusk Street and Main Street in Fayetteville. The report said Kathryn Annette Trevino, 50 of Katy, was driving the a silver 2016 Dodge Ram 3500. The report said Korenek, 59, owns the truck and that he was a passenger.
The report said the pickup was traveling southwest on Main Street (SH 159) approaching the sharp right turn in the highway just past the town square. The report said visibility was low due to fog and the pickup continued at an unsafe speed. The pickup failed to turn right at the curve. It continued straight and left the roadway and entered a gravel driveway. The pickup struck an embankment at the end of the driveway below the railroad tracks.
The pickup sustained front end damage and came to rest in the ditch facing south. The report said Trevino was wearing a seat belt but Korenek was not. Korenek sustained serious facial injuries in the wreck.
DPS Trooper Mason Hartnett investigated the accident. He issued Trevino a citation for driving at an unsafe speed, which he listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The DPS office in Giddings told the Record that Hartnett conducted a field sobriety test and determined that Trevino was not intoxicated. The crash report states that Hartnett did not administer a breath test or seek a blood alcohol test from the driver. However, Hartnett noted in the report that the driver had been drinking, listing it as a possible contributing factor in the crash. When asked to clarify, the DPS office in Giddings said Hartnett determined that the driver had been drinking earlier in the night but was not intoxicated at the time of the accident.
Korenek wrote on Facebook Friday evening, Feb. 5, that he was out of the hospital and recovering at home. Korenek wrote that he currently cannot speak because his jaw has been wired shut. He thanked supporters for their prayers and words of encouragement.
The Record asked Korenek for a statement about the wreck and his condition. He has not responded.