Officials Plan Summit on “Alarming” Rusk County Fatality Rate

HENDERSON — A lonely memorial on Texas 79 outside Henderson serves as a reminder that the first half of 2013 has been deadly on Rusk County roads. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report 17 people have died in wrecks there since January 1 — almost six times the national average. So alarming are the numbers that county officials will conduct a summit Thursday, convening local and state officials to determine why it’s happening and what can be done about it.

County Judge Joel Hale said the meeting is unprecedented in his two and a half years in office. “The purpose of the summit is to identify what has had an impact in causing these accidents,” Hale said. “I think it is going to take time and education to reduce these accidents. People need to take responsibility and realize that you’ve got to pay attention when you’re driving.” Hale said several different groups would attend the summit, including members of the Texas Department of Transportation, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Rusk County law enforcement, Department of Public Safety and several school districts.

The Texas Department of Public Safety reports the national average for traffic deaths is five per 100,000 people per year. Rusk County Sheriff’s Sgt. David Roberts said 17 traffic fatalities the first half of this year, in a county with a population of 60,000, is alarming.