Published: September 14, 2009 12:17 pm      

Names released of wreck victims

The Texas Department of Public Safety has released the names of three teenagers killed in a Friday night wreck outside of Elkhart.

The deceased have been identified as Sadie Warren, 16, of Elkhart; Kelsi Lynn Seal, 15, of Palestine; and Evan Joseph Luna, 15, of Palestine, according to the DPS.

The three were killed when the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier in which they were passengers left the roadway and struck a tree near the intersection of CR 133 and Texas 294 before rolling over multiple times, according to the DPS.

Injured in the accident were Brandon Michael Love, 16, Christa Denman, 15, and Charles Blake Defore, 15, all of whom have Palestine addresses, according to the DPS.

All three injured persons were initially transported to Palestine Regional Medical Center following the wreck, according to the DPS.

Love was treated and released at PRMC, according to hospital spokesperson Lynn Scribner.

Denman and Defore were subsequently lifeflighted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas where they remained as of Monday morning, according to a Parkland representative.

Denman was listed in "fair" condition Monday morning, according to a hospital representative who was unable to release a condition report on Defore Monday morning because parental consent had not been obtained.

A DPS official, however, told the Herald-Press that injuries to the three injured people did not appear to be life threatening as of Monday morning.

DPS Sgt. Jimmy Johnson told the Herald-Press that it appears only Love was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the wreck.

The six teenagers had attended the Buffalo-Elkhart football game Friday night prior to the wreck.

The DPS said that Love was traveling southwest on CR 133, approximately 1.5 miles west of Elkhart, when he traveled through a stop sign at the intersection of Texas 294. After crossing a private driveway, the vehicle struck a tree with its "front right" panel and then overturned multiple times before landing upright in the south ditch on Texas 294, according to the DPS.

The wreck was reported at 9:57 p.m. Friday, according to the DPS.

The deceased were all ejected from the vehicle, according to Johnson.

They were pronounced dead at the scene by Anderson County Justice of the Peace James Todd.

Road conditions were described as "wet" at the time of the wreck.

DPS Trooper Brent Taylor is investigating the wreck.



Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com