24 year old Daniel Ray Rinehart of Rye allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his 1998 Mitsubishi Montero into the back of another vehicle on 146 south of the Livingston City Limits.
3 Vehicle Accident on 146, LIVINGSTON, February 7, 2014 - At approximately 7:17pm on February 6, 2014, a green 1998 Mitsubishi Montero driven by Daniel Ray Rinehart, 24, of Rye, was south-bound on US-146. According to Rinehart, he fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the back of a south-bound GMC Yukon that was stopped and waiting for traffic to clear on the north-bound side of 146 so that they could turn into their driveway (the collision was a short distance south of Jack Nettles Road). The drivers of the Yukon were knocked onto their property while Rinehart's vehicle came to rest in the fast lane of the north-bound side. A red Ford F-150 that was north-bound didn't see Rinehart's vehicle until they were right up on it. The pickup struck Rinehart's vehicle causing the pickup to swerve out of control through the south-bound lanes of traffic and into the wood line on the south-bound side of 146. Americare Ambulance Service was dispatched to the scene along with Deputy Adam Norris with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Troopers Chris Cain, Barett Duren, and Sergeant Nita Bowen (all with the Texas Highway Patrol). Amazingly, nobody sustained injuries from the crash. Traffic on both sides of 146 was blocked for most of the investigation and cleanup. According to Trooper Chris Cain, Daniel Rinehart was cited for failure to control speed. A rollback wrecker from Ken's Towing recovered Rinehart's vehicle and it will be stored at Harrison Body Shop in Livingston. Ken's Towing also recovered the red pickup and it will be stored at Pollock's Body Shop in Livingston.
Rinehart slammed into the back of this GMC Yukon that was waiting to make a left turn.
This Ford F-150 was north-bound and slammed into Rinehart's vehicle causing the pickup to lost control and crash into the wood line on the south-bound side of 146 (Trooper Barett Duren pictured).
Trooper Chris Cain speaks with Rinehart as Cain investigates the accident.
The pickup sustained moderate front end damage (Trooper Chris Cain also pictured).
Both vehicles were recovered by Ken's Towing.
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