Teens were not wearing seatbelts in Montgomery Co. fatal crash on Hwy 105, officials say
Authorities say two teens were not wearing their seatbelts when the car they were in slammed into a tree and rolled over Sunday night on Highway 105, killing one of them.
DPS officials said Monday that speed was a factor in the crash on the roadway between Conroe and Cleveland.
Joseph Nehemiah Wagnon, 17, of Cleveland, Texas, was the passenger in a car with another 17-year-old, Sonny Saxon, of Montgomery, around 10 p.m. Saxon was driving.
Officials say Saxon lost control going around a curve and slammed into a tree, causing the vehicle to roll over.
Saxon was taken to Conroe Regional Medical Center. Early tests revealed he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was not hurt.
A man on his way to work happened to see the Nissan that was wrecked. He tried to give Wagnon CPR, but teen died at the scene.
It's not clear if the two teenagers are current high school students.
There was no word on charges.
According to family members of Wagnon, he had just turned 17 last month. He was the second youngest out of 10 children.
Wagnon's sister described him as kind, caring and helpful. Wagnon loved to play video games.
He was also excited about studying journalism.
Family members say Wagnon's father died suddenly back in March.
Neighbors describe the stretch of road and the curve where the wreck happened as dangerous, especially at night.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Wagnon's funeral expenses.
This is the second time in less than a week that teenagers have been involved in a deadly crash.
On Wednesday, Atascocita High School students Salma Gomez and Chloe Robison were killed when the car they were in with 17-year-old Jaggar Smith, who was allegedly drunk and speeding, crashed in northeast Harris County.
Smith has been charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
