Messenger photo by Joe Duty

An elderly woman was flown to a Fort Worth hospital with serious injuries after a two-vehicle accident Friday evening. She was driving an older model, Dodge passenger car westbound on U.S. 380 about 5 p.m. when she ran into the back of a pickup stopped at the red light at Devon Energy.

No one in the pickup was injured, but the woman had to be extricated. She was transported to Wise Regional Bridgeport and flown from there to a Fort Worth hospital. Law enforcement has not yet released the woman’s name.  More information will be posted as it’s available.

A string of car burglaries over the weekend at a subdivision in Rhome has neighbors and police on the lookout. An eyewitness noticed four young men combing the streets of the neighborhood on foot in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 14. Rhome Police Chief James Rose said they’ve already identified at least 15 victims. “Four young men were walking through the neighborhood, opening car doors and taking GPS systems or anything else they could,” Rose said. “Most cars in the neighborhood are unlocked. This is a small town and people aren’t used to locking their cars.” But at least two homes in the subdivision had security cameras posted outside their houses. The footage was turned over to police and shows two of the suspects. In the video the men can be seen trying to open car doors. The doors are locked, and they move on. Rose said they appear to be in their late teens, possibly 17 or 18, and if anyone knows the suspects seen in the video they could probably identify them from the footage below. Rose encourages anyone with any information to contact Wise County Crime Stoppers at 940-627-5971, ext. 236.

Coy O’Neal, 80, of Decatur was injured in a single-vehicle accident shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday near downtown Decatur. Sgt. Mike Picha with the Decatur Police Department said O’Neal had been in the parking lot on the northside of the Wise Area Relief Mission building when he drove his pickup across the sidewalk, struck a guidewire, crossed Trinity Street and then crashed into the front porch of a house across the street. Picha said O’Neal sustained a cut on his forehead, but his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. O’Neal was taken to Wise Regional Health System in Decatur. Picha said O’Neal was pulling out of the parking lot and hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. Rachel Miller and her 3 1/2-month-old son, Blake, were on the couch in the living room of the home and heard the crash. A concrete porch apparently stopped the pickup’s forward progress just a few feet from Miller’s living room. They were not injured. Today is O’Neal’s 80th birthday. He was honored on Sunday for his birthday and for pulling the chains for 65 years on the sidelines of Decatur Eagles football games.

Messenger photo by Jimmy Alford

A Boyd man was flown to a Metroplex hospital after ramming his motorcycle into a passenger car south of Boyd Monday afternoon.

Carmen Miller, 56, was transported by AirEvac Lifeteam helicopter ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth with gashes on his head and multiple breaks and lacerations to his leg. His injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

Investigators said Miller was traveling northbound on Farm Road 730, near County Road 4470, behind a Chevrolet passenger car driven by Cassie Barbie, 22, of Boyd. Barbie had slowed and signaled her intention to turn left and was starting to turn when Miller attempted to pass her, ramming directly into the left rear of the car.

Although none have yet been issued, Trooper Zeb Siebeneck said Miller will be issued a citation for passing in a no-passing zone. Siebeneck said because Miller also smelled of alcohol and beer and hard liquor were found on the bike, investigators will also “look into a possible DWI” on Miller.

A helicopter ambulance has been called to the scene of an accident in far south Wise County. The accident, which involves a motorcycle, occurred about 3:45 p.m. on Farm Road 730 at County Road 4770. More information will be posted as it’s available.

A tornado watch has been issued for 13 north Texas counties including Wise until 11 p.m. today. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for a tornado. The National Weather Service says there is a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms this afternoon into the evening.

A wreck between an 18-wheeler and a pickup around 9:30 Monday morning on Texas 101 at Farm Road 2265 sent one person to the hospital. Department of Public Safety Trooper William Wallace said the 18-wheeler, which was hauling water, was southbound on Texas 101 and had stopped to make a left turn onto FM 2265. A pickup pulling a trailer was northbound on Texas 101 when he attempted to go around a vehicle in front of him that had stopped to make a left turn by passing on the shoulder. The pickup then collided with the 18-wheeler as the 18-wheeler had started to turn onto FM 2265. Rescue workers had to free the pickup driver, whose name was not available, from the wreckage before he was transported to Wise Regional Health System. Wallace said the driver was in stable condition. The 18-wheeler driver was not injured.

Messenger photo by Joe Duty

Police and emergency responders are on the scene of a wreck on Texas 101 at Farm Road 2265 north of Chico. The wreck involves an 18-wheeler and a pickup. At least one person has already been transported to the hospital and rescuers were still trying to free one other patient from the wreckage as of 10:15 a.m. The wreck happened close to 9:30 Monday morning. More information will be posted as it is available.

Messenger photo by Joe Duty

Two people were taken to hospitals following a two-vehicle accident Friday morning just before 8 on Texas 114 at County Road 4599 west of Boyd. Department of Public Safety Trooper Adolfo Patterson said Valerie Carrillo, 19, of Fort Worth was eastbound on Texas 114 in an SUV when she came over a hill and found herself behind a vehicle that had pulled out of the county road and hadn’t yet sped up to the traffic flow. Patterson said when Carrillo realized the vehicle was still moving slow, she slammed on her brakes and turned into the westbound lanes since a guardrail made going right impossible. Her vehicle struck a westbound vehicle nearly head-on, causing Carrillo’s vehicle to roll onto its side and the westbound car to leave the roadway into thick brush. The driver of the car, Nina Lamance, 38, of Boyd was flown to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Carrillo was transported by ground ambulance to Wise Regional Health System in Decatur.

Messenger photos by Joe Duty

A Fort Worth pilot walked away with no injuries after making a hard landing in a field in Rhome. Department of Public Safety Trooper Adolfo Patterson said James Edgar Vroom, 66, was flying the single-engine plane just before 3 p.m. Saturday when it started to stall. Vroom decided to make an emergency landing in a field just west of U.S. 81/287 and south of Texas 114 West. As he was landing, the plane began operating normal again, and Vroom decided to try to take off again. But before he could lift off, the plane hit a ditch, and the wheels sunk and broke off in mud, bringing the plane to an abrupt halt.

Messenger photo by Joe Duty

Police have released the identity of the victim from this morning’s wreck. Sylvia Norris, 70, of Decatur was killed Saturday morning in a wreck on County Road 4227 just south of U.S. 81/287 a couple of miles south of Decatur. Department of Public Safety Cpl. Jeff Johnson said Norris was northbound on the county road around 9:45 when she ran off the west side of the road, overcorrected, went into a sideskid, left the east side of the roadway and rolled her SUV at least two or three times. Norris was ejected. Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Jan Morrow pronounced Norris dead at the scene. A nearby resident said Norris was going “extremely fast” as she passed by the house just moments before the crash. Johnson said it is obvious Norris was traveling at an unsafe speed. Other than that, the investigation would continue into the cause of the wreck.

Messenger photo by Joe Duty

A 70-year-old Decatur woman was killed Saturday morning in a wreck on County Road 4227 just south of U.S. 81/287 a couple of miles south of Decatur. Department of Public Safety Cpl. Jeff Johnson said the woman was northbound on the county road around 9:45 when she ran off the west side of the road, overcorrected, went into a sideskid, left the east side of the roadway and rolled her SUV at least two or three times. The driver was ejected. Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Jan Morrow pronounced the woman dead at the scene. A nearby resident said the driver was going “extremely fast” as she passed by the house just moments before the crash. Johnson said it is obvious the woman was traveling at an unsafe speed. Other than that, the investigation would continue into the cause of the wreck. The woman’s identity is being withheld pending notification of family.

A series of explosions woke up a neighborhood outside Decatur this morning. A metal workshop housing a pier drilling truck caught fire between 9 and 10 a.m. Not long after the fire started, something inside set off a series of explosions. “I heard about five explosions,” said nearby neighbor John Reeves. “The first one rattled my home. It sounded like a sonic boom.” Firefighters from Decatur, Alvord and Chico responded to the fire located in the 100 block of County Road 1100. They arrived to find black smoke pouring into a cloudy sky, and flames consuming a metal building with a large truck inside. Homeowner Lani Vaughn said the explosions might have been caused by the tires on the truck. But there were also barrels of oil inside the workshop. The pier drilling truck belonged to her son Norman. He kept his work truck parked in the same workshop that his father ran Decatur Tractor and Auto shop out of for years. Vaughn said she didn’t know how the fire began. “Fortunately no one was injured, and nobody else’s property caught on fire,” Vaughn said.

Messenger photo

Decatur Fire Department was dispatched just before 10 a.m. Thursday to a structure fire on County Road 1100, off of Farm Road 1810, west of town. According to the police scanner, a barn and truck are on fire. Alvord and Chico fire departments have been called for mutual aid, and CR 1100 is shut down to through traffic. More information will be posted as it’s available.

A Bridgeport man was killed in a two-vehicle accident early Monday morning on Texas 6 in Calvert, between Bryan-College Station and Waco.

Jason Mitchell, 21, was driving a 2009 Yamaha motorcycle north on Highway 6 about 4:30 a.m. when a pickup pulled out in front of him at Texas 14, according to Trooper Jimmy Morgan, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson. The 2012 Chevrolet pickup was driven by James Chmiel, 53, of Bremond.

According to Morgan, Chmiel stopped at the intersection of 14 and 6, but then pulled into the path of the motorcycle. The bike struck the left front fender of the pickup, and Mitchell was ejected. He was wearing a helmet, but it came off when he was thrown from the bike. Mitchell was pronounced dead by Richardson County Justice of the Peace Keith Foltermann.

“He had just turned 21 Friday,” said Morgan. “And from what I understand, he had been visiting friends in the Bryan area and was possibly en route back to Bridgeport.”

Chmiel was not injured.

A wrecker begins to load the wrecked motorcycle.

A 51 year old Bridgeport man died early Saturday morning when his 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle flipped over on top of him on County Road 3424 east of Bridgeport.
According to Department of Public Safety Trooper Gregory Hair, the man was traveling west when he went off the roadway. No skid marks were found at the scene and no other vehicles were involved. He was found at 2:19 a.m. by a passing motorist, and it is unclear how long he had been there or when he died. Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Jan Morrow pronounced him dead at 3:53 a.m.
He was not wearing a helmet.

Communications Manager Susan Gomez, with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, reported at 6:30 p.m. that the county’s 911 system is down. If you have an emergency, call the Sheriff’s Office at 940-627-5971. More information will be posted as it’s available.

Bridgeport is also reporting trouble with their 911 system. All Bridgeport 911 calls are being forwarded to cell phone in the Bridgeport Police Communication Center. For non-emergency assistance call 940-389-4388. It’s unknown how long or how big of an area is affected. It’s possibly being caused by a cut line that’s since been reported.

The driver of a motorcycle was flown to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for injuries sustained in a wreck with an SUV a half-mile north of the Wise/Parker county line around 2:30 Friday afternoon.

The male’s name was not available, but investigators said he was in his 50s and his injuries did not appear life-threatening.

According to investigators, Carolyn Hoover, the driver of the Mitsubishi SUV, was southbound on Farm Road 51 south of Boyd when she attempted to make a u-turn in the middle of the road, just as the motorcycle came over the crest of the hill.

The motorcycle hit the the passenger side of the vehicle broadside, and its driver sustained lacerations to the head and a broken arm.

Hoover was issued a citation for making an illegal u-turn. Neither she or her passengers were injured.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, Wise County Sheriff’s deputies, Boyd volunteer firefighters, Wise County medics and Springtown police responded.

A Denton County grand jury today indicted Northwest ISD trustee Kerry Jones of Trophy Club on four counts of improper relationship between an educator and student, and a warrant will be issued for Jones’ arrest.

According to a statement by the Trophy Club Police Department, the alleged offenses occurred between April 2010 and March 2011, when Jones was a high school counselor with Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. Jones was a freshmen counselor at the district’s Colleyville Heritage High School when he was placed on administrative leave last August.

Public Information Officer Lee Delk with the Trophy Club Police Department said the investigation revealed that no offenses occurred on school property.

A statement issued by NISD read, “With this indictment, the NISD school board will continue to comply with applicable law and Policy BBC (legal) as it refers to his continued service on the board. Northwest ISD officials have cooperated fully with law enforcement agencies during their investigation and will continue to do so …

“In Northwest ISD, we condemn any actions that would cause harm to a child.”

In a separate release, NISD Board President Mel Fuller wrote, “The news of the indictment today against Mr. Jones is concerning and disconcerting to the Northwest ISD board. As members of an elected school board, we must always promote the best interests of the district as a whole and our community’s priorities and concerns.

“We want to remind the public that through our criminal justice system, defendants retain the presumption of innocence, unless proven guilty … The board does not have the authority to issue a decision in that regard … ”

As of Thursday afternoon, Jones had not resigned from his post on the NISD school board.

Jones, who has a master’s in education and counseling and a principal certification, was elected to Place 6 on the board in May 2011. His term expires in May 2014.

In August, Jones came under investigation for an allegation of misconduct with a former student.

“The board firmly believes that the alleged actions of one person should not reflect negatively on the teachers, administrators or others in the district, who work tirelessly each and every day, in partnership with parents and the community, to provide all students a premier education, preparing successful, productive citizens.”

A court document filed Tuesday by Texas Ranger Anthony Bradford revealed the contents of the car driven by Evan Ebel, including bomb making material. Among the items found in or on the vehicle are “misc. bomb making materials,” found in a black backpack and duffel bag from the Cadillac’s trunk, along with a “document with apparent bomb making instructions.” Clothing items collected include sunglasses, a mask, tan pants with apparent blood stains, shoes, and a Domino’s pizza shirt along with a “heatwave” bag and pizza box. The inventory also included surveillance cameras, three pages of handwritten directions along with apparent letters from “Nate.” It is unclear if “Nate” is connected with Domino’s pizza delivery driver Nathan Leon, who was killed March 17 in Denver. Ebel is a suspect in last Tuesday’s murder of Tom Clements, the director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. Ebel was killed last Thursday following a high speed chase that began with Ebel shooting Montague County deputy James Boyd and ended with a crash at the intersection of U.S. 380 and Business U.S. 380 in Decatur and a shootout with Wise County officers. Ebel later died at a Fort Worth hospital. Boyd is expected to recover.