Texas DPS

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

An auto crash near Round Mountain on Monday, July 3, ended in the death of the two occupants of a car that failed to stop for Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers.

Traffic was back up for miles to be re-routed from US 281 over the hours it took to clear the wreckage shown in videos from the scene littering the highway.

The names of the deceased still hand not been released late Friday, pending notification of next of kin.

In the Blanco County event July 3 DPS Troopers had attempted to stop the Grey Honda passenger car as it sped northbound on US 281 in Blanco County at 11:30 a.m.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), assisted by several other agencies, arrested a South Carolina prison escapee without incident early this morning in Williamson County. A DPS Special Agent entered a motel room in Cedar Park and arrested Jimmy Causey, 46, who was asleep with a shotgun and pistol next to the bed. The weapons and $46,000 in cash were seized, and the fugitive was taken into custody and transported to the Williamson County Jail.

The Texas Rangers and the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force assisted.  Assisting agencies included the U.S. Marshals Service, Austin Police Department, Cedar Park Police Department, Texas Department of Criminal Justice OIG and the Leander Police Department.

Note: This story has been updated twice since first posting, each time with additional information from the Texas Department of Public Safety and University Medical Center Brackenridge.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The two victims who died in the crash on Texas 71 east of Spicewood Monday, Nov. 28, have been identified officially as Cynthia Ann Vega, age 46, and her son, Santiago Vega, age 17, both from Marble Falls.

Justino Rodriguez, age 50, a passenger with the Vegas in a 2015 Ford Focus and also from Marble Falls, along with the driver of the 2015 Subaru which struck them, Bala Chandra Sekhar Gutti, 29, of Richardson, were air lifted to University Medical Center Brackenridge. Both were reported in "Good" condition Tuesday afternoon.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Lawrence McQuay was at home in the 1900 block of Burnet County Road 124 when he heard a terrific crash outside a little after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11.

He opened his front door to see a red Dodge club cab pickup smashed through the roof of his equipment shed.

“It like to scared my little dogs to death,” said McQuay, crossing the county road to view the damage. “The riding mower in there was brand new.”

The lone occupant of the pickup had no apparent serious injury, but was examined by Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service personnel, as the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department worked to prevent leaking fuel from igniting.

By Christi Bertelson

Highland Lakes Newspapers

A woman and her oldest son—Roselee Rodriguez and West Adair Jr.—were pronounced dead on scene in north Burnet County after a four-car collision ended in tragedy Saturday morning, Sept. 3, around 9:25 a.m.

Rodriguez, 26, was traveling with her two sons Adair Jr., 6, and Isreal Rodriguez, 3, when their 2003 Ford Expedition was struck by a 2014 Dodge pickup, driven by Lacy Pearson, 51.

Pearson and his passengers—Rhonda Pearson, 53, Callie Pearson, 22, Angel Dodd, 14, and Natalie Robertson, 2—all of Burnet, were traveling north on US 281 when a 1998 Lexus reportedly forced them into oncoming traffic, colliding with Rodriguez head on.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A Georgetown teen escaped serious injury Monday night, June 20, when his car landed in standing water in a ravine off Ranch to Market Road 1431 east of Marble Falls.

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Troopers, inspectors and investigators will begin intensified commercial vehicle inspections through Thursday, June 9, as part of Roadcheck 2016, an annual three-day enforcement effort across North America to increase motor carrier, vehicle, driver and cargo safety and security.

DPS troopers began Tuesday, June 7, to be on the lookout for commercial vehicles, including buses, with serious equipment violations and drivers out of compliance with state and federal requirements.