Woman, unborn child die in collision

An accident Tuesday night about 10 miles northeast of Hamilton took the life of a Lampasas teen and her unborn child, according to information from the Texas Department of Public Safety office in Lampasas.

An official confirmed the following account.

Heather Ann Smith, 18, was a passenger in the back of a 1997 Ford pickup that was traveling near the intersection of Highway 22 and Farm to Market Road 1602 at 8:20 p.m.

The pickup, driven by Wesley Kepler, 24, of Lampasas, was being followed by a 1994 Kenworth tractor-trailer, driven by Adalberto Marquez of Clovis, N.M.

According to the report, the pickup signaled right but turned left into the path of the 18-wheeler, which was attempting to pass on the left in a no-passing zone.

Ms. Smith, who was about seven months pregnant, was ejected from the bed of the moving vehicle. She and her unborn child died at the scene.

Others in the pickup included passengers Kasey Kepler, 22, of Lampasas and Michael Wilson, 39, of Comanche. Raymond Smith, 19, and Kayla Bench, 18, both of Lampasas, rode in the bed of the pickup with Ms. Smith.

Wesley Kepler, Wilson and Smith were transported to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, and Kasey Kepler and Ms. Bench were transported to Hamilton Regional Hospital.

The truck driver was not injured. He was ticketed for attempting to pass in a no-passing zone, said the report.

The accident is under investigation, and other charges are pending, the report states.