Arrest made in fatal crash

By JESSIE HORTON
TheFlashToday.com

ERATH COUNTY (December 14, 2018) – Alyssa Gayle Litwin, 33 of Stephenville, was arrested Friday morning on warrants for felony charges stemming from the fatal crash near Morgan Mill on December 3 that killed two children and put their mother in a Fort Worth hospital. 

According to the crash report from the Texas Highway Patrol, troopers’ investigation revealed a 2017 GMC Acadia SUV driven by Carrie Sackett, 33-year-old from Stephenville, was traveling North on US 281 and was slowing down to make a left turn onto County Road 466. A 2018 Dodge pickup truck was also traveling north on US 281 following the Acadia. The driver of the Dodge, Litwin, did not notice the Acadia slowing down to turn and struck the Acadia in the rear, sending the Acadia into the southbound lane. A 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Braylen Fain of Ropesville was traveling south on US 281 approaching County Road 466 and struck the Acadia on the right passenger side with the front of the Chevrolet truck. 

Two children, a 5-year-old female and a 9-month-old female, were both traveling in the GMC Acadia and both died at the scene. Sackett was transported by air ambulance in critical condition to Harris Hospital Fort Worth. Braylen Fain was transported to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville for treatment. Alyssa Litwin was treated for minor injuries.

According to a release from Erath County District Attorney Alan Nash, eight felony warrants were issued for Litwin based on the Department of Public Safety investigation of the crash, which was the result of Litwin striking Sackett’s vehicle from behind and launching Sackett’s vehicle into oncoming traffic. Four young children were involved in the crash. Two were killed, two uninjured.

Litwin has been charged with:

• Two counts of Manslaughter, each a Second Degree Felony (2-20 yrs in prison)

• One count of Aggravated Assault, a Second Degree Felony (2-20 yrs in prison)

• Four counts of Endangering a Child, each a State Jail Felony (180 days to 2 yrs in State Jail)

• One count of Tampering with Evidence, a Third Degree Felony (2-10 yrs in prison)

Basic facts supporting probable cause to believe Litwin committed these offenses are outlined in the complaint supporting each arrest warrant.

According to the report included with the charges, “Litwin was asked to give an account of what happened during the crash and she claimed she did not know and did not remember seeing any vehicles in front of her. Litwin then made an unprompted statement indicating that she was not on her phone at the time of the crash. Affiant noted the timing and delivery of this statement to be unusual being made without first being asked if she was using the phone and believes it was made in an attempt to deceive investigators.

“Affiant (the trooper who made the report) interviewed Litwin inside the Affiant’s patrol car. Litwin stated she was texting her husband today but claimed it was not recent to the crash. Litwin unlocked her phone and showed the Affiant a text message she sent to her husband. The time stamp on this message was 15:30 on 12/03/2018. The first call of the crash was reported to the Erath County Sheriffs office at 15:33 on 12/03/2018. Litwin also showed the Affiant a series of “Facebook messenger” messages that were dated and timed 12/03/2018 at 15:31. This date and time indicated when the first message was sent and Affiant observed several additional messages on the screen. Litwin attempted to explain where exactly on the roadway she was when each message was sent, however the locations she claimed did not correlate with the time of the crash. Litwin claimed to have sent her last text message on 12/03/2018 at 15:30, at the red light intersection of US 281 and SH 8. This location is approximately 15 miles away from where the crash occurred and only three (3) minutes prior to the first 911 call of the crash.

“Litwin confessed that she deleted text message threads after the crash. Affiant stated to Litwin, “Seems suspicious that you deleted the messages— I don’t know if you can see it or not.” Litwin replied to the Affiant, “Absolutely. I… I mean from your point of view I can completely see how that would be suspicious.”

“Litwin’s cellular telephone was seized by the Affiant. A search warrant was obtained for forensic examination of Litwin’s cell phone. A comprehensive forensic examination of Litwin’s cell phone was performed on 12/4/18 by Detective Jeremy Lanier of the Stephenville Police Department. Results of the forensic analysis reveal that Litwin was engaged in multiple iMessage exchanges and electronic communications through one or more smartphone applications in the minutes leading up to the time Litwin struck the 2017 GMC Acadia in which Carrie Sackett and her two young children were occupants.”

Nash filed the report with the eight charges and included this statement in his filings.

“As District Attorney, I generally do not comment in detail on pending charges. That being said, it is important for the drivers of Erath County to be warned that local prosecutors and law enforcement view cell phone use that takes one’s eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, as reckless,” said Nash. “The term reckless is significant because the law provides that operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner which causes death, bodily injury, or puts a child at risk, is criminal and will be treated that way. We should all be chastened by this horrific, completely avoidable catastrophe for the Sackett family and put our cell phones away when we are driving.”

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