Mother, Two Kids Recovering After Wreck With 18-Wheeler

A mother and her two young children survived a horrific crash involving an 18-wheeler near Kirtley Friday, Sept. 20.

The mother was flown by helicopter to Dell Seton Hospital in Austin with serious injuries. The children were taken to Dell Children’s Hospital. Everyone is expected to recover, according to Fayette County EMS Director Josh Vandever.

The wreck happened around noon on SH 71 near Kirtley. Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the accident, but details were not available in time for this publication. The crash involved an 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle occupied by the mother and the two children.

La Grange Volunteer Fire Department and Fayette County EMS responded, along with deputies from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. The mother was trapped inside the vehicle. EMS called for a helicopter from PHI Air Medical due to the severity of her injuries.

“It was a very complicated extrication due to the nature of how the patient was trapped,” Vandever said.

Vandever said medics, firefighter and the helicopter crew worked quickly to extricate her and prepare her for flight.

“All worked together to get her out and she was flown from the scene to the hospital,” Vandever said. “She was in the helicopter within minutes of being freed from the vehicle and in the air.”

The wreck shut down both sides of the highway for more than two hours. The westbound lanes opened up around 2:30 p.m.

Many feared for the worst after learning the wreck involved two young children and their seriously-injured mother.

“It was one of the worst ones I’ve been on in a while,” Vandever said. “The kids made things a lot more emotional. It was a hectic scene that made everyone think, for sure.”

Vandever said all three patients were doing “exceptionally well” as of Sunday.