Tragedy Strikes Visitors After a Local Funeral

The five people who died in a horrific accident on US 77 north of Schulenburg last Friday were all family members from the Metroplex area who were in Fayette County to attend a funeral.

A preliminary accident report from the Texas Department of Public Safety identified the deceased as Vanessa Marie Thamez, 36; Karen Lizet Orantes, 47; Anessa Lisette Arrevalo, 19 and William Jackson Gonzalez, 1, all of Grand Prairie, and Alexandria Skye McCaa, 13 of Arlington.

The accident happened around 9:19 p.m. about 2.3 miles north of Schulenburg. The location was in a low spot between two hills.

Thamez was the driver of a 2015 Chevrolet 1500 pickup. The four others who died were passengers in the Chevy. The DPS report said Thamez was attempting to turn left onto US 77 from a private driveway when the accident occurred.

Darryl Cornell Dickson, 57 of Anderson, was driving a 2009 Ford F-150 pickup north on US 77. The report said the Chevy pulled onto the highway and failed to yield the right of way to the Ford. Dickson attempted to take evasive action to avoid striking the Chevy. The Ford swerved to the left and struck the Chevy on the left passenger side.

The Chevy entered into the west bar ditch and rolled over, caught on fire and came to rest on the left side. Thamez and the other four occupants were trapped in the vehicle and died in the fire, the report said.

Dickson sustained minor injuries and was treated at St. Mark’s Hospital in La Grange. Three passengers who were in Ford pickup with Dickson also sustained injuries. Dietrich Coleman, 30 of Navasota, and Hendrick Patterson, 26 of Bryan, were also taken to St. Mark’s for treatment. Kalebb Thompson, 22 of Navasota, was taken to Seton Hospital in Austin for treatment.

According to Fayette County Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau, the five people who died were leaving a family gathering at a home on US 77.

“It makes this tragic scene even more tragic because they were in town for a funeral and they were all gathered in that house to celebrate their loved one,” Moreau said. “It happened in front of their extended family who were already grieving.”

The four men in the Ford were traveling through Fayette County when the accident happened, Moreau said.

DPS Trooper Louis Gabler investigated the accident. Schulenburg Volunteer Fire Department responded, along with Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputy T.J. McCleney and Schulenburg Police Sgt. Kyle Hengst.