MESQUITE, Texas — One person has died and two others are still hospitalized following a crash involving a semi-truck on Interstate 30 in Mesquite on Monday afternoon, officials said.
The crash happened at about 12:35 p.m. in the 3000 block of eastbound I-30 and was affecting the 2700 block of westbound I-30, according to the Mesquite Police Department.
Police said the semi-truck lost control, hit a center barrier on the highway and then flipped onto its side. As the overturned trailer continued to slide eastbound in the westbound lanes, it struck a Honda van and then two Toyota SUVs before coming to a rest.
Police said the driver of the van, identified as 50-year-old Amanda Smith of Dallas, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. She was transporting several cats in carriers which broke, leaving at least three cats injured, according to police. Animal control was called to the scene to secure and transport the injured cats, and police said those agents warned that some cats being transported may have also escaped.
Just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, police said that Smith died from her injuries. The cats animal control was able to secure were released to the SPCA.
In a social media posts Wednesday, Cat Matchers, a Plano organization that helps rescue cats, shared that Smith volunteered with the organization on several occasions.
“So many of us were in awe of the tireless hours of dedication she put in to rescuing as many cats from bad situations that she could physically,” the post read with two photos of . “There were days she wouldn’t sleep and forget to eat all in the name of helping just one more cat.”
Cat Matchers also thanked the SPCA of Texas for taking custody of two of its cats involved in the crash.
Police said the driver of the first Toyota SUV that was struck was identified as 74-year-old Freda Easley of Royse City. She was transported by ambulance to a local hospital and is currently in critical condition.
Police said the driver of the other Toyota SUV was identified as 37-year-old Kefyalew Jaleta of Dallas. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition.
Police have not released any information concerning the condition of the driver of the semi-truck.
The Mesquite Police Department Traffic Unit said its investigation into the crash is still ongoing.