FM-942 East was blocked after a driver who was allegedly intoxicated slammed into the guard rail causing the rail to completely block the road. (Trooper Allen Stanton and Wrecker Driver, Brent Cotten assess the situation).
Alleged Intoxicated Driver Takes Out Guard Rail, Completely Blocks Road, LEGGETT, July 17, 2016 - Shortly after 5 am on July 17, 2016, a witness spotted a red 2005 Chevy pickup south-bound on US-59 in Seven Oaks driving south-bound in the north-bound lanes of traffic. The pickup managed to make it all the way to Leggett and turn left onto FM-942 East. The witness followed (while having already alerted the Polk County Sheriff's Office). Approximately five miles east of 59, the driver, Tyler Dean Hopson, 18, of Huntsville, left the pavement to the right, and drove through the weeds next to the woods for nearly a hundred yards. Hopson swerved left from the weeds and slammed into a guard rail. The impact knocked the guard rail across the road and left 942 completely blocked. Deputy Billy Duke and Corporal Javier Segura with the Polk County Sheriff's Office were dispatched. When they spoke to Hopson, he smelled of alcohol and his speech was very slurred. Trooper Allen Stanton with the Texas Highway Patrol was dispatched to the scene along with an ambulance from Americare Ambulance Service. Hopson was taken to CHI Livingston Memorial Hospital as a precaution. Hopson was then released to Trooper Stanton who placed him under arrest and charged him with suspicion of driving while intoxicated. A rollback wrecker from Clifton Chevrolet, out of Corrigan, recovered Hopson's vehicle. Additionally, the wrecker driver (Brent Cotten) used his wrecker to clear the road.
18 year old Tyler Dean Hopson, of Huntsville, speaks with an EMS responder and Trooper Stanton.
Trooper Allen Stanton is the accident investigator.
Hopson's vehicle was recovered by Clifton Chevrolet out of Corrigan.
Wrecker Driver, Brent Cotten, used his wrecker to pull the railing off the road.
Deputy Billy Duke and Cotten muscle the railing a little further off the road.
Mixi and Heidi were on duty for PolkCountyToday.com.
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