Four injured in crash at same location where firefighter died in Grimes County

PLANTERSVILLE, TX (KTRK) -- It was a dangerous weekend at a rural intersection in Grimes County. There were two major accidents in two days and a firefighter lost her life in one of the crashes.

That firefighter was killed in a crash Saturday on FM 1774 at County Road 302. On Sunday, several people were injured in another major collision at that same intersection.

"This is a really dangerous intersection," said one nearby resident with whom we spoke.

"People take a chance to pull out in front of somebody doing 70 mph," added resident Deborah Stepanek.

DPS authorities say that's exactly what happened Sunday afternoon when a RAV 4 making a left into the Valero gas station failed to yield the right of way to a Yukon heading in the opposite direction. Kasie Shuler and Opal Bennett watched as it happened.

"We just jumped out of the van I honestly don't even know if I had it in park," said Shuler.

With no time to react, the two friends ran to help those inside.

"I grabbed his hand and stuck my head down in there got all muddy and said, 'Hey, hey we're here my name is Opal we are here to help you but you got to stay still,'" said Bennett.

"And then we grabbed the lady out of the vehicle out of the Tahoe and we laid her on the ground," Shuler said.

Two of the passengers in the RAV 4 were taken to the hospital via Life Flight. The other two were transported by ground ambulance. Sunday's activity are a stark reminder of Saturday's when another car accident in the exact same intersection took the life of volunteer firefighter Harley Mullenix.

"The fire department meant everything to her. Once she got into it, she was hooked. She loved fighting wild land fires more than anything," said Chief Michael Briggs with Plantersville Volunteer Fire Department.

Harley joined the Plantersville Volunteer Fire Department as a junior firefighter when she was only 15. It wasn't long before everyone came to know and love her.

"She can't be replaced. Any firefighter lost anywhere can't be replaced but that girl was our daughter," said Briggs.

The small community forced into mourning is now demanding action.

"We need a light over here we need a stop light to hold people back," said Striplan.

Some say they need a stop light while others say they need reduced speed in the area.

"The main thing is people just need to slow down out here. That's just the bottom line. They just need to take their time and slow down," said Trooper James Reaves with DPS.

No one in this community wants to relive what happened over the weekend.

The four passengers in the RAV 4 were listed in critical but stable condition. The driver of the Yukon SUV was able to walk away without any injuries. There is no word if anyone will face any traffic violations.