Two twin brothers and a female teenager were killed in a horrible crash early this morning when their Honda Accord drove into a tree, split in two, and caught on fire.
Arlington police officers found a liquor bottle at the scene. Speeding is suspected.
The accident happened about 3 o’clock a.m. when the driver lost control in the westbound lanes of the 700 block of Southeast Green Oaks Boulevard and veered into a tree on the median at Yaupon Drive, across from Ferguson Junior High School.
Stephen and Michael Eckel, the driver and his twin brother, 21, were declared dead at the scene. A female passenger, Danielle Ruthstrom of Arlington, 17, was rushed to John Peter Smith Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Two male passengers were hospitalized with serious injuries.
The crash comes exactly a month after three Fort Worth teens were killed in a fiery crash on the same road.
The deadly wreck brings the number of traffic fatalities in Arlington to 32 already this year. This is a dramatic increase over 2010, when there were 20 traffic fatalities. It goes without saying that one death is one too many.
I wish there was a way to get teens to be better drivers. I have unfortunately handled my share of wrecks where they were involved.
And as the father of a 21 year old — who caused a non injury accident when she was 16 (I didn’t allow her to drive for the next year, but she is now an excellent driver), I can only imagine what the parents of these young people must be going through. I am very sorry for your losses.