Three siblings were involved in a fatal crash on U.S. Highway 380 Monday, officials said.
WISE COUNTY, Texas — Two teens were killed and a child was injured in a fatal crash in Wise County, officials said.
State troopers responded to reports of a crash around 6:44 a.m. Monday at the intersection of CR 4011 on U.S. Highway 380, The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a press release.
Investigators found that a blue Ford F-150 pulled out in front of a Freightliner towing a trailer to cross Highway 380, according to the release. The Freightliner struck the truck, jack-knifed and overturned onto the center median of Highway 380, officials said. The Ford slid onto the grass of the south shoulder, the release states.
The truck’s passenger, 13-year-old Nolan Christensen, was pronounced dead at the scene, the release states. The truck’s driver, 16-year-old Sofia Christensen, was taken to a hospital where she died, officials said. The third passenger, 12-year-old Ella Christensen, was taken to a hospital and officials did not immediately release her condition.
The driver of the Freightliner, 33-year-old Jose Feliz Rodriguez, was treated for minor injuries, the release states.
The Wise County 4-H club and Decatur ISD confirmed that the three children in the truck were siblings and asked for prayers for the Christensen family.
“We lift up the family of the impacted students in this tragedy, we pray for the many friends and classmates, teachers and community members who are impacted,” a district official said in an invocation ahead of a planned school board meeting. “Help us to carry one another in the pain we are feeling in this moment.”
The Decatur community is now grieving the loss of two young lives taken far too soon.
“Both kids are a big part of our community,” said Youth Pastor Ray Petty of First Baptist Church.
Petty was on the road when he received the call about the deadly crash.
“I did a U-turn and headed straight back to Decatur so that I could go try to get my own personal vehicle so I could be with the family,” he said.
The shoulder of the road still bears the skid marks where the pickup slid into the grass. Community members came by and left flowers, candles, and a teddy bear at the crash site.
Sophia, who attended Decatur High School, was described by Petty as a kind, sweet and gentle person. Nolan was a student at McCarroll Middle School. Friends and family said he had recently experienced a growth spurt.
“He looks like a 15-year-old,” Petty said. “He was a tremendous athlete and a tremendous kid.”
Both Sophia and Nolan were active in their church, and Pastor Petty opened the First Baptist Church Youth Center on Monday night to give students a space to gather and grieve.
“We had on each table some pens and some papers where the kids could make, write letters to Ella, the youngest, or mom and dad, or even honestly to Sophia and Nolan,” said Petty.
A family friend launched a GoFundMe page to help the children’s parents with financial needs. That link can be found here.
“We reached out to all the churches,” said Petty, as their faith community continues to support the family through their loss.