Weekend wreck, fire claim two lives

A wreck Friday evening south of Mineral Wells and a trailer fire Sunday night near Lipan claimed the lives of two men, according to reports.

A driver involved in a one-vehicle wreck on Old Millsap Highway died when his pick-up rolled around 7 p.m. Friday, according to Department of Public Safety officials.

Raymond Godfrey, 61, of Millsap, was headed south on Old Millsap Highway, approximately 1.6 miles south of Mineral Wells, when he drove off the highway to the right, according to the DPS spokesperson.

When he tried to drive back on the highway, Godfrey struck a concrete bridge and spun around striking a guardrail. The 1978 Chevy pick-up then rolled over and slid off the roadway, according to the DPS spokesperson. The driver was found wearing a seatbelt.

Alcohol might have been a contributing factor, according to the DPS spokesperson.

Godfrey was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fire fatality

A body was discovered after a travel trailer fire was extinguished Sunday night in the 100 block of McPherson Road in southern Palo Pinto County.

“The trailer was fully involved when we arrived so it was a total loss,” Brian Gordon, spokesperson for Santo Volunteer Fire Department, said.

Lipan apparatus and a Santo fire engine responded to the call from a nearby resident just after 10:30 p.m., according to Gordon.

A body was found inside the trailer when the fire was put out.

The victim was sent to Dallas for an autopsy and has not yet been positively identified, according to Sheriff Ira Mercer.

A space heater is believed to have been a factor in the fire, according to the sheriff’s office.

Thefts and burglary

• A stolen vehicle was found wrecked Saturday after the driver fled the scene.

The one-vehicle collision knocked over a utility pole in the 2300 block of S.E. 16th Street around 2 a.m. Saturday and the abandoned two-door Chevrolet Cavalier was towed, according to police.

The police received a call Sunday from the owner reporting the car stolen from the 2200 block of U.S. Highway 180 East over the weekend, according to the report.

Oncor estimated replacement of the pole and repair work at $4,000.

• D&D; Motors in the 3700 block of U.S. Highway 180 East reported a 1995 Chevy pick-up broken into Saturday morning. The burglary is believed to have happened around 5 p.m. Friday. The driver’s side door window was found broken and an in-dash radio and speakers valued at $800 were missing, according to the police report.

• A gray, 1995 Lincoln Towncar reported stolen Friday morning was found Saturday afternoon in the 2200 block of U.S. Highway 180 East. Nothing was reported missing or broken into, according to police, who turned the car over to the owner.

Arrests

The Mineral Wells Police Department reported making the following arrests:

• Bridgett Nacole Taylor, 20, of Mineral Wells, was arrested Friday on a Dallas County warrant for possession of a controlled substance.

• Keith Ray Stafford, 38, of Mineral Wells, was arrested Friday on eight MWPD warrants for code enforcment violation, no insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, unsightly property, driving with an open container of alcohol, driving with an obstructed view, and expired registration.

• Maria Velasquez, 44, of Mineral Wells, was arrested Friday for driving without a license after a 2-vehicle wreck in the 1200 block of S.E. 12th Street.

• Mason Kyle Wells, 21, of Mineral Wells, was arrested Friday on a warrant for speeding.

• Joanne Harris Sexton, 40, of Mineral Wells, was arrested Saturday for simple assault.

• Jesse David Tucker, 21, of Graford, was arrested Saturday for criminal trespass.

• Raymond Rodriguez, 26, of Albuquerque, N.M., was arrested Sunday for driving without a license or insurance and for speeding.

• Steven Silva, 42, of Mineral Wells, was arrested for failure to control speed and leaving the scene of an accident after a one vehicle collision early Monday morning in the 1800 block of U.S. Highway 180 West.

• Billie Charles Thresher, 52, of Mineral Wells, was arrested Monday morning for driving with a revoked license and no insurance.

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