Vehicles Catch Fire Following Collision

The area emergency responders were alerted to a major accident at the intersection of Quinlan ParkwayA andA State Highway 34 at approximately 8:10A a.m. Monday.

The first responders were en- route when additional reports stated that the vehicles were on fire.

Quinlan Police Chief Johnny Thornburg said, "My initial investigation shows that a maroon Chevrolet Malibu, driven by Stephanie Burt, age 27 of Quinlan, was northbound on State Highway 34 with two young juvenile male and female passengers, ages 2 and 6, and a white Dodge Dakota, driven by Brenda Drennan, age 57 of Quinlan, was southbound on the same roadway."

The driver of the Dakota turned into the path ofA the Malibu, Thornburg said. The resulting collision caused a collapse of traffic at morning school hours as the gas tank of the small Dakota pickup erupted in flames and caused both vehicles to ignite.

The immediate assistance of the Tawakoni South Volunteer Fire Department was requested as the female driver and her son and daughter were extricated from the Chevrolet. They were taken to Presbyterian Hospital of Greenville by American Medical Response ambulance paramedics.

The driver of the Dakota refused treatment at the scene.

At the scene, local Quinlan resident JoAnne Ringwood said, "I have seen some of the disaster programs on TV but I have never seen a gasoline tank explode like that."

All traffic was diverted around the scene as firefighters fought the flames and Lone Oak Wrecker units arrived to clear the roadway with the assistance of two fire departments. The roadway was declared clear at 9:23 a.m.