Three killed in accident near Freer

Three people died about 11 a.m. Tuesday in a burning van after it struck an 18-wheeler 14 miles north of Freer, police said. Pasadena residents Maria Consuelo Sanchez, 59, Maria Delcarmen Guardiolla, 49, and Juan Guardiolla, 70, were unable to escape the green 2001 Plymouth van as it was engulfed in flames, according to Department of Public Safety reports.

The van was traveling south on U.S. Highway 59 when it veered into the northbound lane colliding with a 2003 Kenworth tractor trailer driven by Mark Zetterstrom. Zetterstrom was not injured, police said.

An identification card was found inside the van that allowed police to contact family of the deceased, according to reports. Justice of the Peace Ben Garza pronounced the three occupants dead at the scene. Source