Two hurt in I-45 rollover

By Janet Jacobs

December 22, 2008 08:23 pm

— A Navarro County man was trapped beneath his pickup truck Monday morning for nearly an hour while emergency workers struggled against bitter cold and a nearly crushed truck cab to free him following a rollover on Interstate 45, about a mile north of Angus.
The man has serious injuries and was treated at Navarro Regional Hospital before being transported to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. A passenger in the rolled truck received minor injuries.
The accident happened around 11 a.m., according to Texas Department of Safety Trooper Phil Stambaugh. According to witnesses, a pickup hauling a trash trailer for B&J Garbage Disposal was struck by Toyota pickup, causing the work truck to flip over.
“The blue truck hit the trash truck’s trailer and caused him to lose control,” Stambaugh said.
The driver of the Toyota pickup, Carlos Soto, 23, of Harris County, was arrested and charged with intoxication assault, a third-degree felony. His breath test results showed he had a .224 blood alcohol content (BAC). In Texas, anyone with a .08 BAC is presumed to be intoxicated.
Soto remain in the Navarro County Criminal Justice Center Monday evening. He is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, according to jailers.
Traffic was backed up for more than an hour while rescue crews used hydraulic cutters to free the victim.
Family and co-workers arrived quickly, only to stand around in temperatures hovering around freezing, watching the emergency workers. Meanwhile, sheriff’s deputies directed traffic into the shoulder, and clean-up crews swept up glass and other debris.
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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com

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