A tragic head-on collision between two pickup trucks on Interstate 45 near Leona claimed the lives of five Houston residents on Saturday afternoon. Another individual from Dallas sustained critical injuries in the fiery crash, according to emergency officials and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
DPS identified the deceased as Hermenegildo Melendez, 55; Veronica Cerda, 53; Veronica Denise Cerda, 26; Rebecca Cerda, 20; and Daniela Cerda, 18, all of Houston. They were traveling northbound in a 2023 Ford F-150 driven by Hermenegildo Melendez.
The other vehicle involved was a 2016 Dodge pickup truck driven by 43-year-old Toriano Fair from Dallas. Fair was transported to a hospital in Bryan with serious injuries.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene at the northbound 157 mile marker around 3:17 p.m. following reports of a major accident near Leona, Texas. According to DPS, the southbound Dodge pickup veered off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail, crossed the center median and a cable barrier, before colliding head-on with the northbound Ford F-150. Initial reports indicate both vehicles caught fire after the impact…