Community
Texas DPS says Hale County teen killed in two-vehicle crash - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
A 16-year-old boy from Hale Center died Wednesday afternoon after his pickup rear-ended another truck on Interstate 27 in Hale County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The crash happened shortly after 2 p.m.
The crash happened shortly after 2 p.m. On Aug. 26 near mile marker 44 on I-27. DPS investigators say the teen was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado north in the left lane when he struck the back of a Dodge Ram pickup that was pulling a trailer and also traveling north in the same lane.
The teen was not wearing a seatbelt. He was transported to Covenant Health Hospital-Plainview, where he was later pronounced dead.
I-27 connects Lubbock to the communities of the South Plains, running through Plainview and Hale Center before stretching further north. It carries a steady mix of farm trucks, trailers, and passenger vehicles through that corridor daily. Rear-end collisions with trailer-hauling rigs on that stretch are a persistent concern for DPS troopers who patrol the route.
Texas law requires all vehicle occupants to wear a seatbelt, and state data consistently shows unrestrained drivers and passengers account for a disproportionate share of traffic fatalities each year.
Common questions
What caused the deadly crash on I-27 in Hale County?
- A 16-year-old from Hale Center rear-ended a Dodge Ram pulling a trailer while both vehicles traveled north on I-27 near mile marker 44. The crash happened shortly after 2 p.m. on Aug. 26. DPS is investigating, and the teen was not wearing a seatbelt at the time.
Where was the teen taken after the I-27 crash?
- He was transported to Covenant Health Hospital-Plainview, where he was later pronounced dead. Plainview is the nearest city to that stretch of I-27, which runs through Hale County connecting Lubbock to communities across the South Plains.
Stay in the loop
Weekly Lubbock news, deals, and events. Free.