Just before 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon Michael Lynn McDowell, 46 was traveling west on SH 105 near Aronda with his 16 and 18-year-old daughters. As he approached the intersection an east bound black PT Cruiser crossed the center line forcing McDowell to the shoulder. That was not far enough as the PT Cruiser struck the left door of his Ford Expedition. McDowell stopped and thought the PT Cruiser had also. Taking a few minutes to turn around to exchange information with the driver the PT Cruiser fled the scene.
EMS and DPS were dispatched to the scene as his daughters had been shaken up by the crash.
As they were being dispatched multiple calls started coming to 911 about the PT Cruiser driving erratically. The calls quickly changed to the PT Cruiser had just struck a minivan head-on SH 105 between Scott Road and Lee Turner Road several hundred yards east of the San Jacinto County line.
MCHD dispatched two ambulances to the scene. Cut N Shoot Fire was dispatched as was Splendora Fire Department. When Cut N Shoot arrived on the scene they found several victims entrapped and injured. The female driver of the PT Cruiser, identified as Leanne Dolson, 32, of Spring was in critical condition and was flown to Hermann Hospital in Houston by Life Flight. Also transported in the helicopter were her 2-year-old child and a 6-week old infant.
The driver of the 1999 Astro Van identified as Victor Gonzalez, 38 who lived within 2 miles of the crash site was treated at the scene with minor injuries. His 14-year-old son who was the right front seat passenger was entrapped in the vehicle. Fire crews worked almost 15 minutes to free the young man. They had worried about his right foot which was totally encapsulated in the floorboard but didn’t appear severely injured when he was freed. He was transported by ground ambulance to Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands.
Gonzalez and several other witnesses told troopers that Gonzalez was westbound on SH 105 when the PT Cruiser came into his lane. He took evasive action which took him into the eastbound lane. At that moment is when the PT Cruiser moved bank into the eastbound lane and struck the van head-on.
SH 105 was closed for almost 2 hours as troopers along with a Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney investigated the scene.
Traffic was backed up for miles in each direction. Some motorists who were familiar with the area or had GPS’s and used the Detour feature were able to divert to Old Highway 105 and miss the backup.
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