On Thursday, November 9, at 5:59 pm, Paris Police Officers responded to a major accident in the 1200 block of South West Loop 286 involving multiple vehicles, including a semi-truck trailer and two passenger vehicles.
The collision resulted in critical injuries to the occupants of one of the passenger vehicles, who were transported to Paris Regional Health Hospital. Unfortunately, 31-year-old Emily Echols succumbed to her injuries and did not survive.
In response to the incident, TXDOT personnel were called in to assist in shutting down both east and westbound traffic around the accident site. The Paris Police Department's Accident Reconstruction Team spent several hours at the scene, processing evidence as they continue their investigation.
Following the tragic event, 23-year-old Joshua Okeith Fluellen Jr. of Mt. Pleasant was arrested. He now faces charges of Intoxication Manslaughter with a Vehicle and Intoxication Assault with a Vehicle Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident is ongoing.
