Danie M. Huffman
wdreporter2@yahoo.com
A two-car accident left 11 people refusing treatment against medical advice Thursday. According to Weatherford Police Officer Matt Windham, 10 people were traveling east in a Ford Expedition and collided with a Chevrolet 3500 extended cab pickup towing a flatbed trailer in the 1500 block of Fort Worth Highway.
Windham said the driver of the Expedition, Emerdhilda Morales, 23, of Weatherford, caused the accident when she made an unsafe lane change.
He added she was attempting to make a right hand turn from the shoulder of the roadway and suddenly “jerked into traffic.”
He said the 30-year-old Weatherford male driver of the Chevrolet pickup could not avoid hitting her from behind. The collision sent the woman’s SUV into the bar ditch.
Morales had nine passengers in the SUV. Windham said seven children inside the vehicle were not buckled in. All of the children were under the age of 7.
A female passenger and some of the children suffered cuts from the crash. LifeCare Paramedics evaluated the victims at the scene, but their parents signed a waiver to refuse hospital treatment.
Morales was issued five citations including one for no insurance, no driver’s license and making an unsafe lane change.
Morales’ passenger received four citations for unrestrained child under 5 and under 17 not secured by safety belt.
Windham said the department enforces a zero tolerance on safety belt violations.
“This accident could have been potentially worse than what it was due to too many people inside the vehicle and the lack of safety belts use on the children,” Windham said.
