Dallas County Deputy Narrowly Escapes Death from Swerving Driver

[TXCharlie]

4 People Killed In 4 Separate Crashes

POSTED: 6:51 pm CDT June 9, 2007

DALLAS -- Four people were killed in four separate crashes on Dallas roads early Saturday, NBC 5 reported.

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Images: 4 People Killed In 4 Separate Crashes
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The first wreck was a close call for a Dallas County sheriff's deputy. The deputy was standing outside his vehicle close to midnight on eastbound Interstate 20 when deputies said Michael Lake, 25, of Garland, hit the patrol car.



Witnesses said they saw Lake swerving in and out of traffic for a while. Police said after dialing 911, the witness was on the phone with another officer in the area as the crash happened.

According to deputies, Lake was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene. The officer was able to jump to safety and received just a few bruises on his leg.

Another crash close to midnight closed Westbound Loop 635. Police said it was a single-car wreck and the driver Stephen Selman, 26, died.

At about 3 a.m. Saturday, a third wreck left one person dead, and a second person in critical condition after police said the driver slammed into a wall near the Houston Street Viaduct heading out of downtown Dallas.

Alcohol may have played a role in a fatal crash on Interstate 45 at about 5 a.m., police said. Police said the passenger was killed, and paramedics took the driver to Baylor Medical Center. There was on word on the driver's condition.

[smokey703]

Glad the trooper is ok. The whole month of May was like that over here in Louisiana. The Troop A area of The Louisiana State Police worked a traffic fatality everyday for the entire month. 7 of those fatalities were in Iberville Parish ( my parish of employment ). 5 more that I can think of in parishes that touch Iberville.

[TXCharlie]

It also seems like there's not a day that goes by when Dallas or a surrounding city doesn't have a fatal crash - Sometimes I hear them mentioned on helicopter traffic reports on the radio, but they never even receive mention on the TV news that night (or they only get a 5-second clip in the context of causing a traffic jam).

That's pretty sad when you think about it - That the tramatic and painful end to someone's life is often only reported in the context of their inconveniencing a few people on I-635.