On July 2nd, just after 5:00 a.m., emergency medical services, Van Alstyne Fire personnel, and the Howe Police Department responded to a motor vehicle crash in downtown Howe. Dean Lynn Grauman, 55, from Trenton, was found lying unresponsive in the roadway upon arrival. Despite immediate lifesaving efforts, Grauman was tragically pronounced deceased at the scene.
At the crash site, responders also discovered Helen Ruth Landry, 63, of Howe (Grayson County), trapped inside her overturned pickup truck. Emergency medical services extricated her from the vehicle and transported her to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Grauman was in the process of securing a load of tree branches into the bed of his pickup truck when the incident occurred. Reports indicate that Landry's vehicle collided first with Grauman's trailer, then with Grauman himself and his pickup truck.
In response to the severity of the incident, a member of the Sherman Police Department Critical Accident Investigation Team has joined Howe officers to assist in the ongoing investigation. Ms. Landry has cooperated with authorities and consented to provide a blood sample for analysis. As of now, there is no evidence indicating that alcohol or excessive speed were factors in the crash.
The investigation is ongoing.
