Five people, including two young children and an 80-year-old driver, were killed Sunday afternoon in a violent three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 281 in Marble Falls, authorities said. The wreck shut down a stretch of the highway around the 3100 block of South U.S. 281 as first responders worked the scene after the 4:59 p.m. collision.
According to KEYE, officers say an 80-year-old Lago Vista man, Antonio Lara, was driving a black Nissan pickup when it crossed into southbound traffic. The truck sideswiped a white BMW, then slammed head-on into a silver Hyundai.
The BMW took only minor damage, and everyone inside survived. The Hyundai, however, was carrying four people: 50-year-old Roxanne Mowrey, 55-year-old Ron Dykes, and two girls, ages 3 and 5. All four, along with Lara in the pickup, were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Marble Falls police handled the initial response, with help from the Burnet County Sheriff's Office as the investigation began and traffic was diverted around the closure.
US 281 Safety And Planned Fixes
The deadly crash comes along a stretch of U.S. 281 that has already been flagged for major safety and mobility upgrades. A draft environmental assessment dated March 2026 from the Texas Department of Transportation outlines a proposed turbine-style interchange at U.S. 281 and SH 71, along with new frontage roads and related improvements aimed at easing traffic and cutting down on serious collisions.
The agency's project materials and public-hearing documents detail different design options and a timeline that could take several years to move from paperwork to pavement, according to TxDOT. Environmental review, funding and final design all have to line up before construction can start in the Marble Falls area.
What Investigators Say
Marble Falls police publicly identified the pickup driver as Antonio Lara, 80, and said "the investigation is ongoing," with Burnet County deputies assisting at the scene, KEYE reported.
Investigators have not released any immediate findings on whether speed, impairment or some other factor led to the truck crossing into oncoming traffic. Those answers are expected to come later as the probe continues.
Crashes with this many fatalities often reignite local frustration over the busy corridor, and TxDOT documents already point to a list of potential fixes for the Marble Falls section of U.S. 281. Transportation officials note that such projects typically take years to move from planning to reality, even when there is broad agreement that something needs to change.
