Five killed in two unrelated accidents

Two unrelated accidents in Ector County claimed five lives and sent five to Medical Center Hospital.

Lorenzo Octavio Hernandez and Rosalio Hernandez, 31, of Hobbs, N.M., along with 30-year-old Michael Travis Kelly of Sterling City were killed Friday morning on State Highway 302 west of Odessa. Two people, whose names were not available, were killed Friday evening in a separate crash on State Highway 158 east of the U.S. 385 overpass in Gardendale.

Texas Department of Safety trooper intern James Norman said the morning accident happened at 6:40 a.m. Friday 14 miles west of Odessa.

A 1999 Chevrolet S10 driven by Lorenzo Octavio Hernandez of Hobbs, N.M., was headed southbound when the driver disregarded a stop sign and collided with a 2006 Chevrolet 2500 HD, Norman said. John Nance Criswell, of San Angelo, was driving the 2006 Chevrolet 2500 HD.

Hernandez and his passenger, Rosalio Hernandez, 31, were pronounced dead at the scene by the medical examiner at 8:33 a.m., Norman said.

Michael Travis Kelly, 30, a passenger Criswell’s vehicle was also pronounced dead at the scene. Kelly was from Sterling City.

Criswell and passenger Sherri Carleen Henard were listed in stable condition at Medical Center Hospital by Friday evening.

The second fatal crash was reported at 6:22 p.m. DPS trooper Hunter Lewis said a yellow Jeep was heading east on State Highway 158 while a sedan that was too badly damaged to immediately identify was heading west. Lewis said according to witnesses, the Jeep tried to pass someone but didn’t have enough clearance, and collided with the other car head on. The Jeep rolled on the median while the other car rolled off the northern shoulder.

Viewing from the west, the other car’s engine block was exposed, with the fender missing, the hood unrecognizable, all the doors mangled, the body as a whole resembling scrap metal and the trunk lid appearing to be the only undamaged part remaining on the vehicle. A DPS trooper put a sheet over part of the car where one of the dead passengers was visible.

Lewis said both the driver and a passenger in that car died at the scene. By 8 p.m., DPS communications operator Gary Altersberger said people on scene were still trying to get the two out of the car.

The Jeep’s hood was caved in. Three people and a dog were taken from the Jeep by ambulance and by helicopter to Medical Center Hospital. Their conditions and names were not immediately known. The dog was taken by Odessa Animal Control, though Lewis said the dog did not seem to be seriously injured.