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Submitted: 8/19/21 • Approved: 8/23/21 • Last Updated: 8/26/21 • R448720-G0-S3
Born 21 December 1889
Died 13 November 1940
(aged 50)
*Photo courtesy of Lionel Alva, Jr.
*The Evening Monitor
Edinburg, Texas - On Wednesday, November 13, 1940, four trucks tangled themselves in a tragic mass 30 miles north of Edinburg on US Hwy 281 killing 3 family members and 2 others instantly.
The crash, the worst in the Rio Grande Valley's history where only trucks were involved, occurred on a wide open stretch of the Edinburg – Falfurrias hwy between 4:30 and 4:45 am.
Killed in the crash were Tomas Cisneros, Sr., 49, of Ecleto, Karns County, Texas, Gilberto Cisneros, about 17, Magdalena Cisneros, about 16, Sylvestre Cisneros, 12, died at the County-City Hospital at 1:15 pm later that day. JB Stodghill, Denver, Colo. and Bonnie Bert Kellum, 27, of Corpus Christ, Texas.
Victim number 7, Mrs. Cleofas Canales, 59, of Karns County, died early in morning November 14, 1940, at 4:15 am at the County-City Hospital in Edinburg.
Investigating officers believed that 2 crashes occurred only a short time apart. They believe that the Cisneros's truck, being pulled South, by the Stodghill truck, was pulled over by the side of the road when a 3rd truck crashed into the Cisneros's truck from behind. A fourth truck, heading north, then struck the Cisneros's truck that had been pushed into the middle of the highway. No injuring occurred in the fourth truck.
Contributed on 8/19/21 by MryAl8
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Record #: 448720