FM 1788 Crash Victim Speaks Out

Big 2 spoke with the father of the three children who were killed in the horrific head-on collision that happened February 5th  on F.M. 1788.  Brandon Savage and his wife were actually driving on that road as his mother followed behind him with the three kids in the back of her car. They were on their way to a birthday party when their lives completely changed.

"She looked back up and saw the smoke from the accident and turned around and went back," said Savage.

Savage was remembering the intense moments of the crash, where he lost his mother and three children. The days following the tragedy were hard for the family, but Brandon says the memories help.

"Tristan, he was daddy's boy," said Savage. "He knew how to make anyone smile. Jeremyah always loved cars, and he was grandma's boy. My stepdaughter, Tiffany -- you could go anywhere with her and she would tell you anything. My mom, she would see the good in anyone even if others didn't."

The February 5th crash was the fifth fatal accident on that stretch of highway in the past three years. And the most recent crash that occurred on Wednesday makes it six fatal crashes on that road. The road is getting a reputation.

"The main thing I want to get out there is the road," said Savage. I" really want them to change it, its about time.”

TXDOT has reviewed the road. That say it meets standards and that the accidents are from human error. In the most recent accident, which happened on Wednesday, one man was killed when he was ejected from the car because he was not wearing a seat belt. The February 5th accident occurred when Debbie Beck veered into oncoming traffic.

"When two wrecks are close together, people start to wonder if it's the roads fault,” states Gene Powell, of TXDOT. “I don't want to belittle the accidents they are horrible but there is not data yet that says something needs to be done with the road."

But Brandon Savage and others don't believe the accidents on F.M. 1788 are coincidental. They say something must be done to the deadly highway.

"How many people have to die before they take action?" said Savage.

TXDOT will review all of the conditions that might have led up the two recent accidents. But they won't do this for another couple of months.