Two accidents on same street sends
two to jail, two to hospital

By: Sherrie Williams
Two accidents in less than a week on the same street has left property damage from one end of North Fourth Street to the other, and resulted in two being taken into custody and two being transported to the hospital.

The most recent accident occurred Tuesday evening just after 8 p.m. in the 1300 block of North Fourth Street.

A 2007 Hyundai was traveling south on North Fourth when the driver, Kelly Schiller, 44, struck a mail box at 1312 N. Fourth, then struck a Pontic Grand Am parked at 1310 and an Ford Excursion SUV, injuring Terry Fleck, who was between the two vehicles reportedly taking groceries out of one.

The Hyundai became entangled with the Excursion, dragging it from the driveway into the street and over a school speed limit sign. After pulling free from that vehicle, the Hyundai then crossed into the north bound lane of Fourth Street striking a 1994 GMC half ton pick-up.

The GMC, driven by Joe Louis Ayala, was traveling north on Fourth and apparently crossed into the south bound lane attempting to avoid a head-on collision with the Hyundai, but was struck on the passenger side.

The impact caused the Hyundai to lose it’s front tire and wheel, but it continued to travel south on Fourth Street, destroying another mail box and coming to rest in the yard of the residence at 1302 North First.

Fleck and Ayala were transported to a Wichita Falls hospital by ambulance.

Schiller was transported to a Wichita Falls hospital then to Wichita County jail on charges of driving while intoxicated enhanced with prior convictions.

According to the police officer’s report, Schiller admitted to drinking Vodka and driving.
The first accident occurred Friday morning at 12:40 a.m.

A local man, David Jacob, Perez, 23, landed in jail for driving while intoxicated/enhanced with prior convictions following an accident with a semi truck, a police pursuit, and a crash into a house.

According to Lt. Jimmy Eaton, the police dispatcher received at least two reports of a “vehicle swerving all over the roadway” north bound on US 287 and it being involved in an accident with a semi.

Eaton said Perez apparently passed the truck and then applied his brakes causing the truck to strike the 1995 Chevrolet pickup in the rear. The pickup continued on and exited on Pacific Street where officers responding to the calls spotted him. Attempts to stop the pickup failed and a pursuit began.

The pickup traveled down several streets and the suspect exited the vehicle while it was still traveling in the 900 block of North Fourth. The pickup crashed into the bedroom of a residance in the 900 block of North Fourth. According to Eaton it hit just below a bedroom window, but did not wake the resident sleeping the bedroom.

The subject was not injured and continued to flee a foot, but was apprehended a short distance from the accident scene. Perez was charged with driving while intoxicated/enhanced second offense and felony evading. His pickup was impounded pending seizure, because it was used in a felony, according to Eaton.