One dead after morning collision

Texas Department of Public Safety, Graham Fire Rescue, Graham EMS and the Young County Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-vehicle, head-on collision Wednesday morning. The crash resulted in the death of one driver and serious injuries to another driver.

According to DPS Sgt. Dan Buesing, the wreck occurred at approximately 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 on Hwy. 16 South in Graham, near Dark Canyon RV Park. Buesing confirmed one fatality and one person transported to Graham Regional Medical Center by EMS and airlifted to a hospital in Dallas with serious but non-life threatening injuries. There were no other passengers in either vehicle.

A preliminary crash report stated Elio Miguel Guiterrez, 20, of Graham, was traveling north on Hwy. 16 S in a blue 2010 Ford F-150 truck when he drifted over into the southbound lane while negotiating a right curve.

Unable to make an evasive maneuver, Javier Juarez-Ortiz, of Graham, driving a silver 2021 Dodge Ram 3500 truck, was struck head-on. Gutierrez was pronounced dead on the scene by Young County Justice of the Peace Jason Hearne.

Gutierrez was a computer science major at the University of Texas at Arlington and was returning to Graham. A fundraiser has been set up by Gutierrez’s family to assist with funeral costs and other expenses. A fundraiser was also started for Juarez-Ortiz to help with his medical expenses that resulted from the wreck.

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