A Hardin County grand jury has indicted 72-year-old Gary Lee Faul for criminally negligent homicide, nearly three months after investigators say he drove more than two miles in the wrong lanes of U.S. 69 before slamming head-on into a car driven by 24-year-old Keaton Degeyter of Village Mills, killing him. The indictment follows a Texas Department of Public Safety investigation that accused Faul of blowing past at least two red DO NOT ENTER signs before the fatal collision near Kountze, as reported by KFDM News (Fox 4 Beaumont).
According to fox4beaumont.com, DPS says Faul traveled roughly two miles in the opposite lanes of the highway before the crash. The wreck happened at about 4 a.m. on July 18 on U.S. 69 near Overstreet Loop, just south of Kountze, according to kfdm.com. Degeyter, driving a black Ford Focus, died at the scene, while Faul, behind the wheel of a black Dodge Ram 3500, was taken to a nearby hospital with suspected minor injuries, per the preliminary DPS crash report.
How the Wrong-Way Drive Began
Investigators say the northbound lanes of U.S. 69 were blocked by an earlier crash and wrecker activity, and Faul moved into the southbound lanes to get around the obstruction. The report notes that he never returned to the northbound side. Instead, Faul kept driving in the wrong direction even after reaching a divided section of the highway, passing at least two posted red DO NOT ENTER signs along the way.
DPS Trooper Tyler Weatherford, who investigated the crash, found the Dodge Ram in the southbound lanes facing north with major front-end damage, and the Ford Focus nearby in the southbound lanes facing southwest with extensive front-end damage of its own, the same account states. Data pulled from the vehicles showed the Dodge Ram traveling about 45 mph before slowing to 26 mph roughly two seconds before impact. As noted by KFDM News (Fox 4 Beaumont), the affidavit says Faul steered left in an apparent attempt to avoid the Ford, but the vehicles still collided head-on.
Trooper: Degeyter Would Still Be Alive
Weatherford concluded in the affidavit that the crash could have been avoided, and that Degeyter would still be alive had Faul not continued traveling in the wrong direction. A Hardin County justice of the peace signed the arrest warrant on Aug. 31 after finding sufficient probable cause, the station's report notes. The Hardin County Sheriff's Office arrested Faul on Sept. 16, and he posted bond and was released from jail that afternoon.
Criminally negligent homicide is a state jail felony, and per the same account, Faul could face up to two years behind bars if convicted. The Hardin County grand jury returned its indictment against Faul on Sept. 24, roughly a week after his arrest, according to KFDM News (Fox 4 Beaumont).
Remembering a Young Golfer Headed to Work
Degeyter was driving to work at Indorama when he was killed, and had played on the Warren High School golf team before becoming a member of the Wildwood Men's Golf Association and playing regularly at Wildwood Golf Course, KFDM News (Fox 4 Beaumont) reported at its report. His family has said he had dreams of marriage and starting a family of his own.
Degeyter's death has also sparked difficult conversations about roadway safety and whether there should be more frequent driving evaluations as people age, a family friend told the outlet. Jenna Tupper, reacting to news of the case, wrote that no amount of justice will bring Degeyter home but that accountability is happening.
A Living Memorial at Wildwood
The Wildwood community plans to honor Degeyter with a live oak tree planted at the golf course where he spent so much of his time. A dedication ceremony is planned for Oct. 11 at Wildwood Golf Course, a date that holds extra meaning for the family: it would have been Degeyter's birthday, per a report from KFDM News (Fox 4 Beaumont).
