Two area teens remembered

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Funeral services were held Saturday for two local area teens who were among four people that died in a Dec. 3 traffic pile up on US 290 east of Ranch to Market Road 1370 near Fredericksburg.

Destiny Joy Conatser-Barrow, 17, of Leander and Evan Karl-Lee Langbein, 16, of Fredericksburg and formerly Johnson City, were a brother and sister who died at the scene of the mid-day accident. She was a cheerleader at Rouse High School in Leander.

Also dead were two Azle residents, Keith Hoover, 58, who also died at the scene, and Don Corley, Jr., 61, died later at Hill Country Memorial hospital in Fredericksburg.

According to a report from Sgt. Sergeant Orlando Gus Moreno, a public information officer for the

Texas Department of Public Safety, it appeared that a Toyota passenger car driven by Conatser-Barrow was traveling westbound on the inside lane when she lost control of the vehicle and struck a Chevrolet pickup on the outside lane. The Toyota then veered across the double yellow center line into the path of a Chevy Suburban traveling east on the inside lane.

“The pickup truck went into a side skid across US 290 and struck a tree,” said Moreno. “The driver of the Chevy truck, Wayne Talley, 66, of Johnson City was transported to San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) in San Antonio.

The Suburban, driven by Robert “Alan” Thomas, 66, of Azle carried five passengers, including the two men who died.

Hoover’s wife Carol, 57, and Corley’s wife Sandra, 61, were transported to St. David’s Hospital South Austin. Thomas and his wife Sharon 64, were treated at Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg.

“The investigation is ongoing, and it’s not yet known if speed, distracted driving, or another factor along with the wet, rainy conditions contributed to the driver of the Toyota losing control of the vehicle,” Moreno said.

The condition of the crash survivors has not been reported.

Services for Conatser-Barrow were held at RockPointe Church in Leander. Services for Langbein were held at Liberty Lighthouse Fellowship in Johnson City.