Fatality Reported in Irion County Accident: TxDPS

Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly identified the residence of the deceased individual from Eden. The corrected information confirms that the individual was a resident of San Angelo. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a tragic incident occurred near Barnhart on Sept. 25 resulting in the death of a San Angelo resident. The collision happened around 7:07 a.m., approximately two miles west of Barnhart on U.S. Highway 67. Reports from the Reagan County Sheriff's Office indicated the closure of a section of the highway, five miles west of Barnhart, due to a significant accident at 7:46 a.m. Preliminary findings by TxDPS suggest that a 38-year-old driver of a 2026 Ford F-250 pickup was traveling east on U.S. 67 near mile marker 728 when they veered onto the wrong side of the road, colliding with a westbound 2023 Ford F-150 driven by 30-year-old Austin Ray Sanchez of San Angelo. Tragically, Sanchez was pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Donna Smith. The 38-year-old driver was hospitalized at Reagan County Memorial Hospital. Road conditions were reported as dry and weather clear during the incident. This unfortunate event marks the second fatality involving a San Angelo resident in as many days. Just a day prior, on Sept. 24, a three-vehicle crash resulted in the death of 46-year-old Daniel Lee Barrientez Jr. of San Angelo after a Mack truck allegedly failed to yield the right of way, as per TxDPS.