Fatal accident claims life of Liberty man

On Friday, September 20, at approximately 8:55 a.m., a fatal accident occurred on FM 563 south of Liberty, killing 21-year-old Marques Anthony Sthram of Liberty.

The accident occurred when a 2012 Jeep Patriot driven by Sthram attempted to pass a 2013 truck pulled by Mac and towing a trailer in a no-passing zone.

According to DPS reports, Sthram's vehicle was traveling northbound behind the truck and trailer driven by 57-year-old Javier Galvan of Houston. While attempting to illegally pass the truck, the Jeep struck the left side of the trailer with its passenger side.

The impact caused the Jeep to enter the southbound lane, where it struck a utility pole, causing the vehicle to roll over onto its left side. The Jeep was heavily damaged and Sthram was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Stephen Hebert. Galvan, the driver of the Mac truck, was uninjured.

Sergeant Rob Willoughby, chief of the Texas Department of Public Safety's Liberty County branch, emphasized the dangers of speeding and reckless driving, especially when drivers are in a hurry.

“People don't realise when they speed and do things like that, they don't gain time by being late. You might gain a few minutes, but that's not worth your life or the lives of others,” he said.

DPS Trooper Natalie Aguirre investigated the accident and was assisted by Troopers William Koen, Corey Prantil and Levi Wilcox.