Fw: 8 dead in Sulphur Springs wrecks (Includes Off Duty DPS Trooper & Firefighter)

[Guest guest]

8 dead in Sulphur Springs wrecks (Includes Off Duty DPS Trooper &

Firefighter)

8 dead in Sulphur Springs wrecks

06:02 PM CDT on Monday, June 14, 2004

From Staff and Wire Reports

Eight people were killed Sunday night in two accidents near Sulphur Springs.

Also Online

Video: Janet St. and Tamplin report

Video: DPS Trooper Lt. Ben Valdez describes what happened

En español: Ocho muertos en accidente vial

Among the dead: an off-duty Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, an

off-duty Grapevine firefighter and their sons.

The accidents happened on Interstate 30 at State Highway 69 on the east side of

Sulphur Springs.

DPS spokesman Lt. Ben Valdez said the first accident happened shortly after 7

p.m. Sunday when a driver apparently lost control of a vehicle. Three people-two

adults and one teenager-were killed. Three others were hurt in that wreck.

The highway was blocked in both directions as emergency workers cleared the

scene, and traffic was diverted to adjoining service roads, Valdez said.

Less than two hours laters, an 18-wheeler crashed into the back of a car that

had been slowed by the first accident, causing a five-vehicle chain reaction

accident.

Grapevine FD

Ringler Five people were killed in that accident, including four in one

car: DPS trooper Stanley Avery and his son Jack; and Grapevine firefighter

Ringler, 33, and his son Chance.

Both men are from Sulphur Springs and were returning from a baseball tournament.

Their wives were traveling in a separate car at the time of the crash. The boys

were in fifth grade.

Ringler, a six-year veteran of the Grapevine Fire Department, had been a member

of the water rescue team and also served as an instructor at the Texas A & M fire

academy in Commerce.

" The general public's been calling and wishing us well and their prayers are

with the family and with us at this point, " said Fire Chief , his

badge covered with black tape as a mark of respect. " This is very difficult to

lose two public safety employees in the same week. "

Grapevine police Officer Darren Medlin was killed Saturday during a routine

traffic stop on Highway 121 in Euless.

Other victims of the Sulphur Springs crash involving the public safety officers

included the driver of the truck, identified as Ledford, 56.

Three family members from Sulphur Springs died in the initial crash. They were

identified as Delfino Bautista, 46; his wife Hortencia Bautista, 39; and an

unidentified teenage girl, Valdez said.

Three children in the vehicle were taken to Dallas area hospitals, but their

injuries are not considered life threatening, Valdez said.

Both crashes were under investigation. " We know what happened here and we have

the basic details, " Valdez said. " We just have to get all the other questions

answered as well. "

Sulphur Springs is about 70 miles northeast of Dallas.

WFAA-TV reporters Vega and Janet St. in Grapevine, the Dallas Web

staff and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Guest guest]

Ringler was an excellent person and will truly be missed by

all who knew him. I had the pleasure of employing him as an instructor and

found him to be truly concerned for the development of his students. While I

would never consider myself close to him, I feel that I have lost an

important person in my life. I wish the very best to his family and the

friends that he left behind. I trust that the friends that were involved in

his extrication are all doing well.

Bob Folden, EMT-B

Dr. Bob Folden

613 Forrester

Greenville, TX 75401

So much information, so little knowledge, and even less wisdom.

[Guest guest]

I too had the pleasure and privelage of knowing both Matt and Stan. They will

be sorely missed by all of those who worked with them. Matt was a great

instructor and had could literally " run circles " around his recruits. Matt

always had a smile on his face was a great person, father and, firefighter . .

..We'll all miss you guys!

Cliff

LP/FF

The

Colony Fire Dept.

Paris

Junior College EMSP

Bob Folden wrote:

Ringler was an excellent person and will truly be missed by

all who knew him. I had the pleasure of employing him as an instructor and

found him to be truly concerned for the development of his students. While I

would never consider myself close to him, I feel that I have lost an

important person in my life. I wish the very best to his family and the

friends that he left behind. I trust that the friends that were involved in

his extrication are all doing well.

Bob Folden, EMT-B

Dr. Bob Folden

613 Forrester

Greenville, TX 75401

So much information, so little knowledge, and even less wisdom.