GREGG COUNTY, Texas — A second child has died after a two-vehicle wreck in Gregg County that also resulted in the arrest of one of the drivers, according to Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sgt. Jean Dark.
A car driven by Mercedes D. Cole, 24, of Longview, was traveling on Texas 149, near Lakeport, on Thursday afternoon and was preparing to turn into the Dollar General parking lot. DPS says that's when Cole's vehicle was struck by a car, also traveling south, driven by Hayden M. Malone, 21, of Tyler.
A 2-year-old boy, that was a passenger in Cole's vehicle was pronounced dead by officials Saturday, Jan. 15. A 5-month-old boy, who was also a passenger of Cole's, died at a Dallas hospital on Tuesday.
Alan Cerna, 26, of Longview, was taken to a local hospital in serious condition. A 4-year-old girl was flown to a Shreveport medical center and is in critical condition. Both were passengers in Cole's vehicle.
Cole and a 7-year-old passenger were uninjured.
Malone faces two counts of intoxication assault and two counts of intoxication manslaughter. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail on $300,000 bond. That total is subject to change with the new charge of intoxication manslaughter.
