DPS identifies fatal Hwy. 290 crash victims
A Round Rock father and his 10-year-old son are being remembered by friends as fun-loving and devoted. The Alexander family was headed to a funeral in Houston on Friday when their truck was hit by a wrong-way driver. Matt Alexander died at the scene. His son Jackson died Saturday morning. Matt was once a stay-at-home dad of his two boys, Jackson and Daniel who is 7-years-old. His wife Jennifer and Daniel are the only survivors of the deadly accident that has now claimed four lives.
"We are really going to miss him. We lost a true friend in Matt," said Terry Lewis.
Terry Lewis and Matt Alexander shared a passion for sports but he says every conversation came back to Matt's kids.
"Matt was an All-American fun-loving kind of guy. He was truly the leave-it-to-beaver kind of dad. He loved those boys," said Lewis.
Terry met Matt while they both attended Houston Baptist University. Matt's dad was a professor there.
"Dr. A was the guy who taught the class that everybody wanted to be in and Matt was just like his dad. He was the friend everybody wanted to have. People clung to Matt and he made friends easily," said Lewis.
Friends across the country are now in shock.
"This can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere," said Lewis who often drives the same 290 route to get to their hometown of Houston.
DPS says 30-year-old Angelica Ortega of Hutto was driving an SUV with a 2-year-old boy in her care. On Friday afternoon, she crossed into the wrong lane of traffic and hit the Alexander family, who was headed to Houston for a funeral. Angelica Ortega, the 2-year-old boy and Matt Alexander all died at the scene. Jackson Alexander passed away Saturday morning.
"It's just something that I'm struggling with and at this juncture I'm thankful for a lot of friends that can help me get through this losing such a good friend as Matt," said Lewis.
Remembering Matt's love of life and family is a brief relief.
"Matt was always there with a smile and a handshake and he wanted to make sure you were doing okay. He cared about you as a person and Matt was easy to love," said Lewis.
Jennifer and Daniel Alexander are in stable condition but suffered serious injuries.
KEYE TV is not identifying the 2-year-old boy that was with Ortega because DPS says his parents have not been located and notified yet.
Funeral arrangements are pending for Matt and Jackson Alexander in Round Rock.
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Three people are dead and three others are critically injured after a two-vehicle traffic crash Friday afternoon in McDade.
It happened at around 2 p.m. near the intersection of Hwy 290 and FM 2336.
DPS investigators say an SUV heading east on Hwy 290 went into the opposite lane and crashed head-on into a Ram pickup truck.
The female driver of the SUV and her son -- approximately 4 years old -- were killed. The adult male driver of the pickup truck was also killed. An adult woman and two child passengers -- approximately 10 and 7 years old -- were transported by STAR Flight to a local hospital in critical condition, investigators say.
Officers at the scene say the family in the pickup truck were heading to Houston for a funeral.
DPS troopers are still trying to determine why the SUV went into the opposite lane.
Traffic delays and closures in the area should be expected. Drivers should avoid the area if the can.
