Two teens are dead and two more were seriously injured following an overnight, high speed crash into a rural Parker County home.
Police say speed may have been a factor in the crash after midnight Thursday at the intersection of Midway Road and Hyde Away Lane near Springtown in Parker County.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel says the truck slammed through several concrete fence posts and rural mail boxes before hitting a mobile home that caught fire.
"I saw everybody outside screaming and yelling," said neighbor Paula Moore. "And I happened to see somebody running around the yard. She was engulfed in flames and just trying to get the fire out and everybody was yelling."
18-year-old Joshua James Brown from Weatherford and 14-year-old Alex Christian of Aledo died at the scene, according to DPS.
15-year-old Halston B. McCue from Weatherford was badly burned and injured in the crash. He was flown in a medical helicopter to Parkland Hospital in Dallas and DPS said as of 1 p.m.he was in serious condition.
13-year-old Madelyn Mitchell of Weatherford was transported by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, DPS said she was also in serious condition.
The three people inside the house escaped unharmed.
"I opened the blinds and I said, 'Oh my God, they're headed right for us!' I said, 'James, get out of the bed fast,'" said homeowner Linda Cacy.
Cacy, her husband and her granddaughter barely had enough time to run out of their home before it started burning.
Cacy's other granddaughter was friends with the driver. "He was a really friendly guy. He was nice to everyone and everybody loved him," said Emily Howell.
While the Cacy home was destroyed in the fire, their thoughts are with two teens killed.
"I'm not really angry. I just hurt for them 'cause they were young," Cacy said.
Late Thursday afternoon Brown's family released this statement:
We, the family of Josh Brown, request that you would respect our family during this time of mourning. We are so saddened by the sudden loss of Josh. Our hearts go out to the other families who have been affected by this tragic accident.
Josh was a wonderful Christian young man who loved his family, people, and life. We are deeply grieving our loss. His sisters are overcome with grief, as they and Josh had recently lost their father in an accident.
Thank you for your concern and well wishes.
The family plans to hold a candle light service at the South Main Church of Christ youth parking lot from 7 to 8 p.m. on Sunday in Weatherford.
