A little after 4 a.m. Monday, November 27, 2023, Caney Creek Fire responded to a reported head-on crash with fire on FM 1314 at the Crystal Creek Bridge. Units arrived to find a 2021 Freightliner owned by Bob Evans Sausage, loaded with food products was engulfed in flames. In addition, a trash compactor truck was against the bridge rail with the container over the side in the creek. The driver of that truck, Vicente Pena, was entrapped and deceased. The Freightliner driver, Collin Wesley Ross, was ejected from the truck. He was transported to HCA Conroe in critical condition. Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control within a short period of time. DPS responded to the scene along with TXDOT. With over 400 gallons of diesel and oil on the ground, cleanup is quite extensive, especially since some found its way into Crystal Creek, which feeds the San Jacinto River and to Lake Houston. The 18-wheeler was loaded with Owens Sausage and Fruity Pebbles waffles and was headed to the Walmart Distribution Center in New Caney. FM 1314 was closed between Exxon Road and Bert Brown until 1 pm. The truck was owned by Bob Evans Foods. That truck was destroyed, and the trailer split in two. The trash container truck had just left the Walmart Distribution Center in New Caney and was heading to the dump when, on the bridge, the 18-wheeler came into his lane, ripping the side of the trash truck off and throwing the trash container into Crystal Creek below. With the container leaking fluid, and the diesel fuel a sheen was seen on Crystal Creek. Milstead Environmental worked to dam up the creek and set booms to stop the oil and lubricants from going downstream. In addition, they worked to remove some 400 gallons of diesel from the roadway. Milstead and Miller Heavy Duty Wreckers worked to remove the damaged trucks. Eickenhorst Funeral Directors transported the victim to the Montgomery County Forensic Center for autopsy. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes Unit assisted in the investigation. During DPS interviews with Ross at the hospital just after the crash, Ross told Troopers he did not remember what happened, where he was going, and did not realize the current time. He also told Troopers he believed he had already unloaded and was surprised that he was in Conroe. Ross admitted to taking antidepressants on and off and had been taking Lexapro, but it had been several days prior. He also told Troopers he had been focused on the road and had slept well prior to the crash. A blood sample was submitted to the lab. In January 2024, the results came back showing:
Antidepressants/Antipsychotics (LC/MS)
Citalopram/escitalopram: 29.3 +/-4.4 ng/ml
Marihuana/Cannabinoids (LC/MS)
tetrahydrocannabinol: 25.3 +/-5.3 ng/mL
carboxytetrahydrocannabinol: 194.8 +/-25.3 ng/mL
l1-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol: 22.6 +/-3.4 ng/mL
Other substances were found, but those had been administered by the medical staff.
Collin Wesley Ross, of 403 Pendall Drive in Wylie, Texas, was arrested on February 11, 2025. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a $30,000 bond set by Judge Grant. On Tuesday, June 10, 202,5, he was indicted by the Montgomery County Grand Jury on Manslaughter charges.
