Surviving victims of Melrose wreck in regional hospitals
By KYLE PEVETO
The Daily Sentinel
Monday, March 19, 2007
NACOGDOCHES — Surviving victims of a fiery car accident that hospitalized six people and killed three others near Melrose Friday afternoon were recuperating at hospitals across the region Saturday.
A Chevrolet sedan driven by Sarah Felts, 17, of Hemphill, went out of control at the crest of a hill on state Hwy. 21 while heading west to Nacogdoches at about 4:45 Friday. The car began to skid sideways, colliding with a Hyundai sedan driven by Tina Lynn Smith, 32, of San Augustine, before bursting into flames and tumbling down an embankment, witnesses said.
A Groves man saw the accident and pulled Tasha Leann Felts, 17, of Hemphill, from the front passenger seat before the car was engulfed in flames. Sarah Felts and two passengers — Sarah Emmaline Adame, 17, of Shelbyville and Sara Katlyn Click 16, of Pineland — died in the accident. Tasha Felts was taken by ambulance to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital and later transported to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. The hospital would not release her status Saturday.
Tina Smith was recovering Saturday in Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, according to a family member, and may be released today. A passenger in her car, Amber Pierce, 25, of San Augustine, was in the Nacogdoches Memorial intensive care unit. Passengers in the Hyundai — Destiny Pierce, 2, and Tina Smith's children, John Austin Smith, 4, and Mindy Smith, 8 — were transported to Texas Children's Hospital in Dallas.
Texas Children's Hospital would not release information about the children's conditions Saturday.
