Editor’s Note: While there were many big news stories in 2016 – from the F1 tornado that ripped through Erath County to the deaths and near-deaths of numerous area students – we decided to show you which stories you, the readers, were the most interested in. If you or a loved one was affected by any of these stories then you might want to speak to an attorney such as Ben Cochran to see if you can get compensation. Below are the top 20 stories with the most hits on our website in 2016.
#1. One dead in single-vehicle accident on US 67 N
ERATH COUNTY (July 21, 2016) – First responders were dispatched to an accident on US Highway 67, north of Stephenville, just after noon Thursday.
According to Texas DPS investigators on scene, a 2002 silver Honda passenger car was traveling west on 67 towards Stephenville.
#2. STORM DAMAGE: Great amount of damage done by F-1 tornado in Stephenville, around Erath County
ERATH COUNTY (March 8, 2016) – Stephenville and Erath County awoke to major storm damage Tuesday, and The Flash is following a number of incidents on our Facebook page, The Flash Today – Erath County.
#3. Two dead in fiery crash on US 281 overnight
ERATH COUNTY (June 26, 2016) – The Tarleton and Stephenville communities are grieving Sunday morning as news broke that the Tarleton Texan football team has lost another member.
Stephenville High School (class of ’13) grad Alex Sanchez was killed when his 2014 Chrysler 300 crossed the center lane and struck a 1997 Ford pickup. The crash also killed Lyle Thomas Hussong, 26, also of Stephenville.
#4. Car accident takes life of another Tarleton student-athlete
STEPHENVILLE (November 5, 2016) — Tarleton State has lost another student-athlete to a tragic car accident.
McKenzie Denay Cox, 18, a Zephyr resident, 2016 Brownwood High School graduate and freshman track and field athlete at Tarleton, was killed in a single-vehicle accident in Comanche County Friday.
#5. Former TSU player, SHS grad Coverdale passes away
STEPHENVILLE (March 14, 2016) — Stephenville High School graduate and former Tarleton State student and football player Brayden Coverdale, 21, has passed away, according to sources at the university. He would have been 22 on March 23.
Coverdale, who recently left Tarleton to attend school at Texas Tech, graduated from SHS in 2012. He was involved in many extracurricular activities and earned all-state honors as a defensive back for the Yellow Jacket football team before spending time as a reserve at multiple positions for Tarleton.
MAN ALLEGEDLY BLUDGEONS MOTHER TO DEATH
HICO (January 25, 2016) — Though details are still coming out and the investigation is still ongoing, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department did confirm reports that Matthew Long was taken into custody Monday morning in Hico for murder.
According to various reports, Long had recently moved into a home on Star Street in Hico with his mother, Sharon. At some point overnight on Sunday or Monday morning, Long allegedly beat her to death with a metal t-post driver.
#7. Interim sheriff suspends top ranked officials
ERATH COUNTY (December 21, 2016) – A little more than 24 hours after Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant was found dead inside his home, at least three of his top-ranking employees were suspended.
Bryant died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound early Tuesday morning. A source close to the case, who asked to not be named, said Bryant’s chief deputy and next in command, Jason Upshaw, was among those suspended by interim Sheriff Matt Coates.
Coates was sworn into office Tuesday after an emergency meeting of Erath County Commissioners, who deliberated the appointment for the better part of a day in closed session Monday.
The source said Deputy Weldon Wilson, Cpt. Randy Fowler and Lt. Bobby Mendez were also suspended. Upshaw, Fowler and Mendez were a part of the sheriff’s criminal investigation division.
#8. Erath County Sheriff found dead in home
ERATH COUNTY (December 20, 2016) – Sheriff Tommy Bryant is gone. The Erath County Sheriff was found dead inside his home of a reported self-inflicted gunshot wound, law enforcement officials reported Tuesday morning.
Bryant, who was first elected to the office of sheriff in 1997 by Erath County voters, has said numerous times in the past that he was grateful to the residents of this county for the chance to serve them. And this year, he was elected to continue holding the seat another four years.
However, just last week, The Flash brought you news of an ongoing TCOLE investigation into the sheriff’s department. And while no one was yet named in that investigation, Bryant himself started the investigation by self-reporting a discrepancy with testing and certifications.
#9. Shooting in Hico, suspect arrested
HICO (June 12, 2016) –As the annual Cody Ohl PBR event drew to a close, shots rang out. One man lay on the ground, another on the run. A confusing twist of incidents lead to a shooting, a false identification and an arrest this weekend in Hico.
Officers were dispatched to the Ohl arena along with Hamilton County EMS Saturday night to a report of a person being shot. According to witnesses on scene, two males fought over a gun and one was shot and the other left the scene.
Hamilton County EMS took the victim, who reportedly had gunshot wounds to the face, to meet Air Evac out of Granbury at a landing zone in Hico. The helicopter took the patient to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.
#10. Teens from Dublin, De Leon hospitalized following wreck
ERATH COUNTY (June 26, 2016) — A two-vehicle accident on US Highway 67 between Stephenville and Dublin Sunday afternoon resulted in two patients – one male and one female – being transported first to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville then reportedly on to hospitals in Fort Worth.
Ryan Lee Gaitan, 17/male, of Dublin, and Darcy Sones, 18/female, of De Leon, were hospitalized. Gaitan, the son of Erath County Precinct 2 Constable Lee Roy Gaitan, was wearing his seat belt but Sones was not, according to an update received late Sunday night from Texas Department of Public Safety senior public information officer Dub Gilliam. Unfortunately, car accidents tend to happen more with younger drivers, with many becoming injured not driving safely, however at times it might be their fault. If you or a member of your family are caught in a car accident, you might want to look into getting help from someone like these Wocl Leydon, LLC Personal Injury lawyers in CT or law firm more local to you.
#11. Overnight fatality accident involved Erath Co. Sheriff’s Deputy
ERATH COUNTY (April 22, 2016) – A fatality accident just three miles south of Stephenville last night took the life of one Erath County man, and others involved are still fighting for their lives including an area police officer.
According to Sr. DPS PIO Officer Dub Gilliam, at 12:23 a.m. a 2009 Ford Mustang, driven by Luis Alberto Garcia, 30 of Stephenville, was traveling northbound on US Highway 281. Reports indicate that Garcia’s vehicle crossed the center strip and into the path of a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police Unit driven southbound by Dustin Ray Paulson, 40 of Gustine.
#12. Multi-vehicle crash kills one, sends two to hospitals
ACCIDENT CLOSES US 281 NORTH OF STEPHENVILLE FOR SEVERAL HOURS SATURDAY
ERATH COUNTY (November 5, 2016) – Yet another young life is lost in a tragic crash on US Highway 281. Sergio Zelaya, 20 of Irving, was killed in a multi-vehicle crash that closed the highway for part of the morning.
Just after 7 a.m. Saturday morning first responders from Erath County were dispatched to a report of a two-vehicle accident. Texas DPS Trooper BJ Hill’s report indicates a 2003 Toyota Corolla driven by Sergio Zelaya was traveling south on US 281 and 2002 Chrysler 300 driven by Xavier Holbert, 22 of Alvarado, was headed north in the outside lane.
The report states Zelaya approached a righthand curve and lost control on the wet road, failing to control his speed. The Corolla slid sideways into the northbound lane and into the path of the Chrysler, which struck the vehicle broadside on the passenger side causing major damage. After impact, Zelaya was ejected and killed.
#13. Two Stephenville men injured in single engine plane crash Saturday
STEPHENVILLE (March 26, 2016 || UPDATED 5:15 p.m.) – Richard Abila, 40 of Stephenville, and his son Aaron, 17 a Stephenville High School student, were headed from Dallas when their red and white 1974 Grumman Lynx crashed near the Lewis Trailer facility, just a mile from the airport in Stephenville, hitting three trailers before coming to a stop.
According to DPS and Erath County officials, it appeared the plane ran out of gas and Richard Abila, who was flying the plane, coasted down in an attempt to land. Richard was ejected upon impact, but Aaron had to be extracted from the plane by first responders.
Both were transported via air ambulances to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth with non life-threatening injuries. Erath County Volunteer Fire Rescue, Erath County EMS, Erath County Sheriff’s Office and other first responders joined investigators from the Clark Municipal Field Airport in Stephenville and from the FAA on scene Saturday afternoon.
#14. Accident kills one, sends another to Fort Worth hospital
ERATH COUNTY (January 30, 2016) — A two-vehicle accident on US Hwy. 377/67 took the life of one Stephenville man and sent a woman to a Fort Worth hospital Saturday morning.
According to Texas DPS Public Information Officer Dub Gillum, Billy Edward Runnion, 75 of Stephenville, was driving a 2006 white Chevy pickup and stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of County Road 195.
#15. Female driver in fatality crash near Dublin identified
ERATH COUNTY (July 25, 2016) – Jensey Nicole Priddy, 29, of Goldthwaite, was killed when she was ejected from the 1999 white GMC pickup she was driving on US 67, near milepost 524.
According to Texas DPS PIO Sr. Trooper Dub Gillum Monday, Priddy was traveling southbound on 67 when the pickup left the roadway to the east, over corrected to the west, crossed over into the southbound lane and then overcorrected again. When the pickup left the roadway again to the east, it entered the center median and rolled, coming to rest upside-down in the middle of the northbound lanes of travel facing north.
Emergency crews and first responders were dispatched to the scene and discovered Priddy had been ejected from the vehicle and called for Justice of the Peace Bart Greenaway, who pronounced Priddy dead on scene.
#16. Sheriff, investigator confirm fatality in farm accident
STEPHENVILLE (August 19, 2016) — An Erath County farm accident has resulted in the fatality of Jesus Ontiveros, confirms Erath County Sheriff’s investigator Jeremy Woodruff.
Ontiveros, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Bart Greenway after a tractor fell on top of him Friday afternoon in a pasture off of County Road 182 about four miles east of Stephenville. Erath County Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Erath County EMS, Cross Timbers First Responders and Erath County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, and a helicopter was dispatched but quickly canceled.
“(Ontiveros) was on a tractor trying to clear brush when the load shifted in his bucket and the tractor turned over,” said Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant. “He died as a result.”
#17. Crash claims the life of local man
ERATH COUNTY (August 15, 2016) – A one-vehicle rollover claimed the life of a local man – Eli Christopher Pyle, 31 of Lipan.
According to DPS Sr. PIO Trooper Dub Gillum, the Chevy Silverado Pyle was driving lost control in a curve approximately three miles west of Bluff Dale on FM 1188 Monday at 2:30 p.m. Pyle overcorrected and the vehicle rolled.
Pyle was not wearing a seatbelt and was killed after being ejected from the vehicle. Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1, Shawnee Bass pronounced Pyle dead at the scene.
#18. Wrecks on US 67 North include out of county DPS trooper, 18-wheeler
ERATH COUNTY (March 10, 2016) — Two vehicles hydroplaned off a roadway and two others collided in an accident, incidents occurring in close proximity to one another approximately 6-7 miles east of Stephenville on US Highway 67 North Thursday afternoon.
An 18 wheeler and a pick-up truck appeared to hydroplane off the roadway, while a car and Texas Department of Public Safety SUV collided nearby. The DPS trooper was not from Erath County, but was passing through while returning from a funeral.
#19. One killed in early morning crash on SH 220
ROADWAY OPENED AGAIN AT 9 A.M.
UPDATE at 12:30 p.m. — The driver of the 2003 Nissan utility truck (box truck) has been identified as Samsmart Insyxiengmay, 31 from Haltom City.
ERATH COUNTY (September 30, 2016) – Officials are still investigating the identity of the driver of a utility (box) truck who was killed in the two-truck accident that shut down State Highway 220 Friday morning as well as the cause of the accident.
According to Sr. PIO Texas DPS Trooper Dub Gillum, the driver of the 2013 box truck was headed south (towards Hico) on 220 when he veered into the northbound lane, striking an oncoming 2007 Peterbilt 18-wheeler in the tandem wheels of the tractor. The impact and rotation of the wheels caused the Peterbilt’s trailer to run over the box truck, destroying it.
#20. Local business owner has contract to purchase Lone Star Arena
STEPHENVILLE (September 6, 2016) — As Stephenville gears up for the 2016 Cowboy Capital of the World PRCA Rodeo, The Flash Today has confirmed that Lone Star Arena will likely have a new owner before the 2017 event.
And it’s someone not only familiar with the local rodeo scene but a top sponsor of the local PRCA rodeo and several associated events each fall.
Cody Johnson, owner of Twisted J Apparel, confirmed Tuesday morning that he has a contract to purchase the arena pending a feasibility study.
“I have a contract out on Lone Star Arena and I am currently doing a 90-day feasibility study before the deal goes further,” said Johnson by phone Tuesday morning.
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