A four-car pile-up on Interstate 10 eastbound near the state border Friday injured six people and sent four to hospitals in ambulances. One of the injured was driving a work truck and was hurt when a long metal pole went through the back windshield and hit him in the left side of the neck, according to a report by Orange Police Officer M.T. Roush.
The collision was reported at 3:50 p.m. in the area near the Texas Travel Information Center. Officer Roush said heavy traffic eastbound had slowed travel and in some places caused it to stop. A Ford F6000 work truck driven by 32-year-old Blake James Huval of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, hit the back of a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck, police said.
The pickup truck then hit the back of an Audi Q5 SUV, which was pushed into the concrete barrier and into the back of a Honda Pilot SUV.
Huval was taken by Acadian Ambulance to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont with non-incapacitating injuries. Officer Roush said the pole was six to eight feet long and about an inch around. The pole was at an angle with one side against the back windshield. When the truck crashed, the pole went through the back window, hitting Huval on the left side of the neck.
The Dodge pickup truck was driven by 53-year-old Anthony Glen Vines of Bridge City with passenger 54-year-old Lucinda Vines. They were taken by Acadian to Baptist Hospital Orange Emergency Room with non-incapacitating injuries.
The driver of the Audi SUV was 31-year-old Phillip J. Popelar of Humble. The passenger was 30-year-old Nishita Singh. They sustained minor injuries and Officer Roush said they refused medical treatment at the scene.
50-year-old Hahn Thi Nguyen of Port Arthur was driving the Honda Pilot and had no passengers. He was taken by Acadian to Baptist Hospital Orange Emergency Room with non-incapacitating injuries.
Social Media