Two people were killed and four others injured Monday morning when a head-on collision tore through traffic on Interstate 10 just east of Clint, shutting down eastbound lanes for hours, authorities said.
The crash happened shortly before 10:30 a.m. when a westbound 2021 Lincoln Navigator crossed the median and hit an eastbound 2025 Nissan Rogue, according to the El Paso Times. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office identified the Navigator's driver as 78-year-old Timothy Head of Van Horn and said 67-year-old Barbra Thacker of Vernon was riding in the Nissan. Both were taken to area hospitals, where they later died from their injuries.
Four additional people were transported to El Paso hospitals with injuries that authorities said were not believed to be life-threatening. The crash shut down eastbound I-10 near mile marker 42, and traffic was forced onto local exits while deputies and first responders worked the scene.
Traffic Disruptions And Official Updates
TxDOT issued alerts telling eastbound drivers to exit at Clint (Exit 42) while the interstate remained closed into the afternoon. Lanes were initially expected to stay shut until about 4 p.m., as reported by KVIA. Early updates from the scene indicated that six people had been taken to the hospital, with two listed in critical condition, before the sheriff's office later clarified the deaths and the updated condition of the surviving patients.
Investigation Underway
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said its Special Traffic Investigators are leading the probe and will reconstruct the wreck to determine how the Navigator crossed the median and triggered the deadly collision. For information on the office's traffic investigation work, visit the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.
