Crash Leaves One Dead, Another Injured

CHINA GROVE—A Canton woman died Thursday morning after the vehicle she was driving was hit by a van at the intersection of State Highway 19 and Farm-to-Market 1256, near the China Grove Community.

Lydia Vasquez Martinez, 70, was struck while driving her 2003 Buick Century southbound on SH 19 by a 2004 Honda Odyssey driven by 65-year-old Eustace resident Michael Bert Morris.

"Mr. Morris was at 1256 and 19 and he failed to yield the right of way at the stop sign at State Highway 19 and pulled out onto 19," Department of Public Safety Trooper Odie Phillips said.

"Ms. Martinez applied her brakes and took evasive action to the left and collided with Mr. Morris’s left passenger side of his vehicle," Phillips explained. "She (Martinez) spun and came to rest northbound. He slid and came to rest facing southbound in the northbound lane."

Morris was flown to Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler in stable condition. Phillips said it was known that Morris’s injuries included a broken hip.

Martinez was flown by medical helicopter to East Texas Medical Center in Athens where she later died.

Phillips said neither person had passengers and both were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

The accident was being investigated by Phillips, DPS Trooper Brady Lunceford and DPS Corporal Kaleb Bullock.

South Van Zandt Volunteer Fire Department responded along with assistance from the Canton Fire Department.