JASPER COUNTY, TX — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has announced it will seek criminal charges in connection with a fatal multi-vehicle crash that occurred Wednesday morning on Highway 190 near the Dam B bridge in Jasper County.
42-year-old Kendrick Monroe tragically lost his life in the collision, which involved four vehicles and unfolded just before 7:45 a.m. in a construction zone where several cars were stopped at a red light.
According to preliminary findings by DPS, the driver of a 2019 Nissan Frontier was traveling westbound on U.S. 190 when they failed to control their speed and slammed into the rear of a vehicle stopped at the light. The impact triggered a chain reaction, causing that vehicle to crash into two others also waiting in the construction zone.
Kendrick Monroe was a passenger in a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse, which was one of the vehicles struck. He was transported to CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
His mother, 59-year-old Felecia Monroe, was taken to CHRISTUS Jasper Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevrolet, 44-year-old Deidra Collins, was also injured and transported to Jasper Memorial. A juvenile passenger in the same vehicle was not injured.
Following the preliminary investigation and a review of additional evidence, DPS investigators concluded that driver inattention led to the Nissan’s failure to control speed, directly causing the crash. DPS officials confirmed Friday afternoon that charges will be presented to the Jasper County District Attorney’s Office for review by a Grand Jury.
The name of the Nissan driver has not yet been released, and no formal charges have been filed at this time.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not provided further comment at this stage.
This tragic incident has shaken the Jasper County community and serves as a sobering reminder of the deadly consequences of distracted driving, particularly in active construction zones.
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