TYLER, Texas — One person is dead following a two-vehicle crash in Tyler.
According to the Tyler Police Dept. on Wednesday, around 10 p.m., crews responded to a crash in the 1000 block of W. Grande Blvd.
When police arrived on scene, they found the driver of an SUV, identified as Lamonte Martin, 24, of Tyler, was traveling eastbound when it struck the passenger side rear bumper of a pickup that was making a left turn.
The SUV lost control and flipped, ejecting Martin, the sole occupant of the vehicle.
"In this situation, you don't know what happened or what caused the person to strike the back of the vehicle," said Tyler Police Dept. Public Information Officer Andy Erbaugh. "It's just a sad situation that, unfortunately, we see too much of. We work thousands of accidents in the city monthly and the ones we see overwhelmingly when somebody's ejected, it's because they're not wearing your seatbelt or they're not wearing it correctly. It's just a matter of buckling your seatbelt even in a minor collision where you would not be injured at all with a seatbelt on.
As the city's population increases, so does traffic. Erbaugh says drivers should be more cautious and follow traffic laws while on the road.
"Driving, especially as Tyler gets bigger and traffic gets heavier, [it's important] just to be ever vigilant about where you're driving and where you're at in your vehicle and all the vehicles around you," Erbaugh added.
The City of Tyler is currently conducting studies on Grande Blvd., which has been home to multiple traffic accidents according to past studies.
"When they see a place that could be an issue, we have our traffic department get right on it," said Erbaugh. "The traffic department is always assessing where they can improve the traffic and lights in the city."
The city says they estimate to get the study from the city consultant by the end of May.