The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Sunday, Aug. 18, at approximately 6:00 pm, there were five separate crashes that occurred on or near the Neches River bridge (Purple Heart Memorial Bridge) in Orange county.

The first crash involved two vehicles that struck debris on the roadway. This crash did not result in any injuries.

The second crash involved the same piece of debris on the roadway. A vehicle swerved to avoid the debris and struck the concrete divider, then spun into the outside lane striking a second vehicle. This crash resulted in minor injuries.

The third crash involved two vehicles and occurred as traffic slowed for the previous crash. A failed to control speed and struck another vehicle in the rear. The driver of the vehicle which rear-ended the other was transported to St. Elizabeth hospital by medical helicopter. His injuries are not known at this time.

The fourth crash involved five vehicles and occurred because of stopped traffic due to previous crashes. This crash resulted in a chain reaction accident. The were minor injuries sustained in this crash.

The fifth crash was a two vehicle crash that occurred when a vehicle failed to control speed and struck a second vehicle in the rear. There were minor injuries sustained in this crash.

The crashes resulted in all eastbound traffic lanes being closed for two hours. All lanes have since reopened.