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A head-on collision took place on US Highway 290 over the weekend, putting at least one person involved in critical condition.
Coral Gibson was traveling on 290 between Henly and Dripping Springs on the morning of May 12 when a Ford Explorer veered from oncoming traffic into her lane and hit Gibson’s Jeep Cherokee, according to her husband David. The Cherokee was thrown into the guardrail, sustaining “substantial damage.” Both sides of 290 were shut down in response to the crash with law enforcement alternating the flows of traffic through one lane.
Emergency responders cut the roof of the car to pull Coral out, and she was transported to South Austin Medical Center by Hays County EMS with critical life threatening injuries. She unable to be flown by Starflight due to weather, David explained.
“I just want to warn everyone of the severity of her injuries as she is stable but still fighting for her life,” David said of his wife in a Facebook post later that evening. “In the collision, she sustained an open left femur fracture, open left wrist/arm fracture as well as massive facial, skull, thoracic spinal fractures, trauma to the left eye and brain trauma. During the collision, her head struck the A-post of the car which, in turn, broke a large part of her skull and tore away a large portion of the frontal lobe of her brain.”
According to the post, Coral went into surgery at 9 a.m. and came out around 4 p.m.
“During the surgery, the damaged portions of the skull were removed to prevent further damage and to allow the brain to swell while healing,” David continued. “The portion of the brain that was damaged has been removed. Unfortunately, doctors were unable to save her left eye. They will reevaluate her tomorrow to see if she can handle the surgery for her leg and arm … She is moving around very little but she is not conscious or responsive to commands.
In an update on May 14, David reported Coral had undergone an additional surgery and was now responsive, although cognitive ability was yet to be determined. A meal train for food and donations was started for her family and can be accessed at mealtrain.com/g6yd78.
The accident has reinvigorated concerns about a lack of law enforcement to prevent speeding west of Dripping Springs.
“What will it take to get law enforcement west of town?” local Mattie Kimbrough commented. “I never see them go beyond the driving range. Putting up a sign that traffic is enforced isn’t enough. The Blanco County line is several more miles down the road and several miles past [FM] 165.”
“There is a huge lack of law enforcement everywhere and especially west of town where the highest speed limit in the city is and where there have now been several fatalities/serious accidents,” she added. “I have reported countless drivers by calling the sheriff's department but sadly I highly doubt they are ever pursued.”
In addition to speeding, residents also expressed concerns about use of the center turning lane as a passing lane and incidents of road rage.
“Yesterday, I saw three vehicles passing in the middle lane going at least 85 to 90 mph,” Christian Whiteman said. “It's getting ridiculous. Plus, the road rage is getting heated out here because [of ] the lack of law enforcement.
Many in the local Dripping Springs Neighbors group proposed possible infrastructure solutions, including updates to the roadway: “Someone has mentioned a divider on the highway in the turn lane,” poster Ki Ba said. “The vertical reflective lane divider posts, like the ones they have at the Osak Hill intersections, would help direct traffic and prevent people from passing on the left in the designated turn lane.”
