Victims Of Ellis Co. Head On Crash Identified

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VICTIMS IDENTIFIED THURSDAY:
Driver of 2007 Freightliner eighteen wheeler is Maninder Singh (age 45) of Mansfield Texas and was not injured in the crash. Driver of 2015 Chevrolet was Richard Catena (age 57) of Waxahachie who was pronounce dead at the scene by JP Jackie Miller. The body was taken to Dallas Medical Examiner for further evaluation and results are pending.

ELLIS COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - First responders remain on the scene of a fiery crash in Ellis County. The head-on crash between an SUV and an 18-wheeler happened on FM 1446, near the Magnablend facility and Lone Elm Road.

Officials say it was a two-vehicle crash that happened when the driver of the SUV veered into the path of the semi around 3:20 p.m. An explosion happened after the SUV crashed into and under the 18-wheeler. Both vehicles burst into flames and the fire even spread to a nearby field -- in all some 20 acres were burned.

The driver of the semi is safe, but the driver of the SUV, whose identity hasn't been released, was killed.

Ellis County Projects Coordinator Sara Garcia said, "At the collision both vehicles were fully engulfed. The fire has since been extinguished. There's no immediate danger right now to the nearby residents."

The accident scene is about a mile west of Interstate 35-E in Waxahachie. FM 1446 will be closed until the accident is cleaned up and the investigation is complete.

Waxahachie Independent School District buses could not get by because of the road closure, smoke and flames. The district worked with police and let parents know when it's safe to get on the road with schoolchildren.

The grass fire that resulted from the crash was extinguished shortly before 6:00 p.m.

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