State officials said law enforcement and medical crews were dispatched in the early hours of December 7 to the scene near a rural intersection. When they arrived, they found two badly damaged vehicles and multiple people in need of urgent medical attention. The crash occurred in a dark, less-traveled area of the highway, making the situation even more difficult for first responders who worked quickly to assess and treat the injured.

Investigators determined that a pickup truck had been traveling the wrong direction on the eastbound side of SH 302. At the same time, a compact sedan was headed east in the correct lane. The two vehicles collided head-on, causing catastrophic damage. Crashes of this nature often result in life-threatening injuries because of the extreme force involved, and this incident proved no different.

The driver of the pickup truck, a 19-year-old Odessa resident, was seriously injured but survived. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Officials noted that he had been wearing a seat belt, a factor that likely helped save his life. A teenage passenger riding with him was also critically hurt and taken for emergency care. Because he is a minor, authorities are not releasing his name, but confirmed that he was properly restrained at the time of the collision.

The driver of the sedan—a 26-year-old man from Odessa—also suffered major injuries and was taken to the hospital. According to investigators, he too had been wearing a seat belt.

Tragically, two passengers in the sedan did not survive. Officials identified them as two young Odessa men, both in their mid-twenties. Emergency crews attempted lifesaving measures, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said the victims had been wearing seat belts, underscoring just how severe the impact was.