An Odessa woman died and four children were injured as a result of a one-vehicle crash New Year’s Eve on Interstate Highway 10, west of Balmorhea, a Texas Department of Public Safety press release stated.
DPS responded to the incident around 10:45 p.m. Sunday night. The driver, 28-year-old Elisabeth Valenzuela of Odessa, was traveling east on I-10 in a 2000 Chevrolet SUV with four child passengers from Odessa, one 3-year-old girl and three boys ages 1, 4 and 5, the release detailed. The roads were icy, it had been sleeting and due to those conditions Valenzuela lost control of the vehicle and rolled multiple times into the center median, the release said.
Valenzuela was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. All four children were taken to Reeves County Hospital with minor injuries, the release said.
