Three killed in Dayton Grand Parkway crash; victims identified

3 killed in Liberty County crash

Three people died Wednesday night after a crash on the Grand Parkway toll road. FOX 26's Leslie DelasBour shares the details provided so far.

DAYTON, Texas - Three people died on Wednesday after a multi-car crash on the Grand Parkway in the Dayton area.

Dayton: Fatal Grand Parkway crash

What we know:

The Dayton Volunteer Fire Department says they were called to the crash at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. It happened on the Grand Parkway tollway near County Road 603.

When a crew arrived at the scene, they say they found a three-vehicle accident with three people trapped. All three were pronounced deceased.

(Photo credit: Dayton Volunteer Fire Department)

A source tells FOX 26 that a Ford F-150 was in the southbound lane of SH-99 when the vehicle crossed the center line toward the northbound lane.

The F-150 then allegedly sideswiped an F-250 that was going north. The F-250, which was said to be carrying a man and his four children, only suffered minor damage and a flat tire.

After swiping the F-250, the F-150 then reportedly crashed head-on into a Lincoln SUV that was also going north. It is said that the man driving the F-150, a 17-year-old driving the Lincoln, and the teen's mother, who was a passenger, were pronounced deceased.

On Friday, authorities identified the victims as 44-year-old Juan Hernandez Balderas, the driver of the F-150, and Kenneth Burkhalter, 17, and April Burkhalter, 39, as the driver and passenger of the Lincoln SUV.

The uninjured driver of the Ford F-250 was identified as 33-year-old James Matlock II and the four minor passengers that were not injured are aged 16, 16, 8, and 7.

A Liberty County emergency crew was called to shut down the tollway and recover the victims.

Officials say the scene was closed off for over five hours for an investigation. The roadway has since been cleared.

What we don't know:

No one involved has been identified at this time.