Two men killed in Maxwell accident

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

A vehicle-pedestrian accident claimed the lives of two Maxwell men late Friday evening.
According to Department of Public Safety Trooper Richard Clement, the two men, Santos Gutierrez, 58, and Jerry Espinoza, 39, were killed when an eastbound vehicle on Highway 142 struck them as they crossed the highway near FM 1966.

/>
Clement said the driver of the vehicle did not know right away the men had been hit. Apparently, she realized her vehicle struck something, and she turned back to determine what had happened. It was at that time she realized the men had been hit.
Witnesses at the scene said the men, who were uncle and nephew, were crossing the highway from their Maxwell home toward a local nightclub. However, Clement said his investigation had neither confirmed nor denied that report, and declined to comment as to the men’s point of origin or destination.
According to Clement, the driver of the car submitted to a voluntary blood-alcohol test, which reealed that she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.
“She”s been very cooperative with us,” he said. “We are still investigating, of course, but it looks like this was just a tragic, tragic accident.”
Clement declined to provide the driver”s name, but said that no charges were being prepared against her as of press time on Tuesday.