The driver of the vehicle which was discovered in a pond on Sunday has been identified as Benjamin Lino Barcenas, 61, pof Willis.
Just after 2pm MCSO and DPS were dispatched to a vehicle found in a pond on Willis Waukegan Road north of SH 105. North Montgomery County Fire arrived on the scene along with MCHD. Russel Schoonover with Texan Towing who was first on the scene backed his wrecker up to the pond. A North Montgomery County Fire Fighter then entered the water which was almost waist deep and waded out close to 30-yards to the red Chevrolet passenger vehicle. He was then able to hook the wrecker cable to it and pulled it out of the water. It was discovered then there was a deceased male body in the vehicle. DPS is working the crash. Initial investigation shows the vehicle was southbound on Willis Waukegan when it approached a curve. The vehicle left the roadway, hit a mailbox, went through a yard missing a large oak tree by inches, crossed a driveway and went through pasture fences, through the pasture. The vehicle then went up the brim of the pond and launched into the pond. There was no indication of any braking. The owner of the property said Saturday afternoon when he went to retrieve his trash cans the fence was ok. Approximately 5 pm when he went to his mailbox to check his mail and found the mailbox had been struck. At the time he did not notice any fence damage until Sunday afternoon. That is when he discovered the vehicle in his pond which, with brush growing around it is not readily visible from the road. This is not the first time a vehicle has missed the curve and ended up in the pond. The last time a Ford pickup came out of the curve, went through the fences and ended up in the pond also. HazMat was required that time to clean the oil off the surface of the pond used to water his cattle. Once again today he called HazMat International to the scene to remove the oil which could be seen across the pond surface. Prior to that truck going into the pond another vehicle came out of the curve, through the pastures and crashed into the brim of the pond. Montgomery County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Trey Spikes pronounced the male deceased and ordered Eickenhorst Funeral Directors to transport the victim to the Montgomery County Forensic Center for autopsy.
