- A fatal car accident on Highway 361 Fri. Aug 9th left one 35-year-old Corpus Christi man dead and several injured.
- The man who died in the accident was driving southbound on Highway 361 away from Port Aransas and swerved into the northbound lane.
- TxDOT said in a statement that they have a safety plan in place to improve drivers safety on Highway 361.
- A virtual public meeting with an in-person option is scheduled for Sept. 19, 2024, at Island in the Son Methodist Church.
A fatal car accident on State Highway 361 on Friday, Aug 9th left a 35-year-old Corpus Christi man dead and several people injured.
According to the Corpus Christi Police Department, "On August 9, 2024, at about 8:21 pm officers were dispatched to the area of 9600 HWY 361 about a major vehicle accident involving multiple vehicles. When officers arrived, they located a deceased male driver in one of the vehicles. The highway was shut down and follow-up traffic investigators were called out to assist."
Investigators determined that vehicle 1, driven by the 35-year-old man was traveling southbound on Highway 361, away from Port Aransas, and swerved into oncoming traffic in the northbound lane. He struck vehicle 2 that was traveling north bound, causing vehicle 2 to leave the roadway and flip over and land on the side of the road. Vehicle 1 continued to go south on the northbound lane and then struck a third vehicle.
Vehicle 1 driver, the 35-year-old Corpus Christi man was pronounced dead on the scene. Vehicle 2 had 6 occupants, and vehicle 3 had 5 occupants. All occupants were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Vehicle 1 driver, the 35-year-old man, was at fault and he was the only occupant in his vehicle. Highway 361 was closed for several hours during the investigation on Friday night.
Friday night's fatal accident was the second fatal accident on Highway 361 this summer alone, and locals know that Highway 361 is notorious for fatal car accidents. This has shaken up people who live and work in Port Aransas, and they say they need to see improvements to the safety of the highway.
“If they don’t want to widen the lanes, just put some kind of cinder block in the middle, making it a four-lane highway. And with two lanes on each side with a turning lane. They’re building so many houses out there. It’s just gonna get worse. Like four lanes in and out, would be great," Scotty Boos, the manager of 361 Bar located on Highway 361 said.
TxDOT gave KRIS 6 news an update on plans for safety improvements to Highway 361 on Monday Aug. 12th. Rickey Dailey, the Public Information Officer for TxDOT said in the statement:
"Safety is a top priority for TxDOT. While we can, and do, implement roadway safety enhancements, including on SH 361, TxDOT encourages drivers to make smart decisions behind the wheel. This includes obeying the speed limit, driving to conditions, avoiding distractions and never driving after consuming alcohol or drugs. TxDOT has in development a SH 361 project from Access Road 1 in Port Aransas to Park Road 22 that proposes to widen the roadway to four lanes with two travel lanes in each direction, a raised center median, left-turn lanes as needed, and a sidewalk/shared use path. The focus of the project is to improve safety and mobility along the corridor. A virtual public meeting with an in-person option is scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm on Sept. 19, 2024, at Island in the Son Methodist Church, 10650 SH 361. Also on SH 361, TxDOT recently installed safety lighting at the entrance to the Mustang Island State Park and at Beach Access Road 2 as well as at the intersections with La Concha Boulevard and Gulf Waters RV Resort. TxDOT is working with the cities of Corpus Christi and Port Aransas on the installation of additional lighting along the SH 361 corridor. The road also features center-line and edge-line rumble strips to alert drivers to return to their travel lane. TxDOT installed passing lanes in both directions to give drivers the opportunity to pass slower vehicles without having to cross into oncoming traffic. And, a lengthy portion of the road features a dedicated left-turn lane. This reduces rear-end collisions by allowing motorists to move out of the travel lane and into a safe space to turn."
Port Aransas residents and workers say that these changes and improvements are a long time coming. They say that for now, they will continue to proceed with caution when it comes to Highway 361 driving.
“I pretty much go cruise control, speed limit, and be on the lookout. You gotta be just cautious, be on the lookout, you don’t know what’s gonna happen. You just gotta be prepared," Boos said.
After the last fatal crash on Highway 361 in May 2024, KRIS 6 Investigates requested several public records from TxDOT, including plans to improve safety, TxDOT provided a cost estimate of just over one thousand dollars to furnish these records. KRIS 6 News immediately filed a cost complaint with the Texas Attorney General and are currently awaiting the AG's ruling.
Anyone can attend the TxDOT public meeting virtually or in person. It is scheduled to for 4:30 pm on Sept. 19, 2024, at Island in the Son Methodist Church, 10650 SH 361.
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