Famous Pastor Killed In East Texas Wreck

CUNEY (AP/STAFF) — The founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City and author of the best-selling book, “The Cross and the Switchblade,” David Wilkerson, has died in a Cherokee County crash. Wilkerson, 79, died yesterday when his car smashed head-on into a tractor-trailer rig. His wife Gwen, 80, was critically injured. She is being treated at Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center. The truck’s driver, Fredrick Braggs, 39, of Beaumont, is being treated at ETMC in Jacksonville.

The accident happened on U.S. Highway 175 at the Neches River Bridge. The Department of Public Safety says, for some reason, Wilkerson’s car, which was east bound, swerved into the west bound lane and hit the truck.

Wilkerson’s World Challenge Inc. ministries confirmed on its website that he “went to be with Jesus.” Wilkerson founded the non-denominational Protestant church in 1987 in an area of Manhattan that was then riddled with X-rated movie houses, strip clubs, prostitution and drugs. Wilkerson also founded Teen Challenge, which uses a biblically based recovery program for drug addicts.