Friday morning collision on Highway 190 kills woman

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

The U.S. Highway 190 bypass around Copperas Cove was shut down for the second time in a matter of days, after a two-vehicle crash shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday.

Abigail Smith, 27, was driving a 2002 Ford passenger car eastbound on U.S. 190 and drove onto the wrong side of the road and collided head on with a westbound 2019 Freightliner truck-tractor semi-trailer driven by Steven Felix, 52, of Rockwall.

The crash occurred just west of the Old Copperas Cove Road exit, with Texas Department of Public Safety troopers responding.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a press release issued by Sgt. John Roberts with the Texas Department of Public Safety on Friday afternoon. Felix was uninjured and next of kin have been notified.

A collision on Monday morning shut the bypass down for a little more than 36 hours, when a westbound Hyundai moved into the eastbound lane, colliding with an eastbound Freightliner. The Texas Department of Transportation has closed a portion of the shoulder on the Valley Bridge that was damaged when the Freightliner struck a railing until a new portin of railing can be fabricated and installed. 

"TX DPS wants motorists to always  avoid distracted, fatigued and impaired driving.These factors are major contributors to many fatal crashes across our  state," Roberts stated.