2 killed in head-on crash in Rusk County

RUSK COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - (Editor’s Note: The name of the woman who was killed in the wreck was initially recorded on the DPS report as Kristen Charnell Herron. Her name is Kirsten Charnell Herron, and has been corrected in this article.)

DPS troopers responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash Saturday at 8:40 p.m., on State Loop 571, approximately 1.5 miles west of the city of Henderson in Rusk County.

A preliminary investigation indicates the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer was traveling south on State Loop 571, while the driver of a 2020 Mazda CX-5 was traveling north on the same roadway. The driver of the Chevrolet veered to the left into oncoming traffic, the driver overcorrected to the right and then again back to the left, sending the vehicle into a side skid into the northbound lane where it was struck by the Mazda. The Mazda caught fire after impact.

The driver of a Chevrolet was identified as Benjamin Slaughter Jr., 33, of Longview. Slaughter Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Mazda was identified as Kirsten Charnell Herron, 26, of Pittsburg. Herron was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.