A trip to church camp was interrupted Monday morning for several youth and their pastor from Heritage Baptist Church in Spring Branch-Bulverde, Texas as their caravan was involved in a three-vehicle accident north of Brownwood on Hwy 183N near the community of Owens. One church vehicle, a pickup, flipped as a result of the accident losing a trailer. A church van was also sideswiped during the accident, according to officials on scene.
According to witnesses on scene and a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper investigating the accident, around 9:00am Monday morning an older model passenger car(pictured at top) and the pickup, which was being driven by the pastor, collided causing the pickup to roll over. The pickup was pulling a trailer full of campers’ belongings which came loose and crashed into a culvert. One occupant of the older model passenger car was airlifted to Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene while two others in that vehicle were taken by ground ambulance to Brownwood Regional Medical Center.
The pastor and four youth riding with him in the pickup were not transported to the hospital and walked away from the accident, according to church members on scene. A church van with other campers was following behind and was only sideswiped during the accident; its occupants were reported to be uninjured. According to church members and witnesses on scene, all the youth were in good spirits and thankful that the pastor and his passengers were able to crawl out of the windows of the pickup and walk away from the accident.
Although their trip was slightly delayed, a youth minister from another church offered to help get the youth and their belongings to church camp.
Traffic on Hwy 183N was blocked for about an hour after the accident.
Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the cause of the accident.
Pictured above is the damage to the passenger car, below more photos of the accident scene.
Damage to pastor’s truck
Church trailer in culvert.
Another view of damage to trailer
Minor damage to church van.
Traffic backed up from the accident scene.
