BELL COUNTY, TX. (THECOUNT) — Texas State University student/ athlete, Marie Peinado, 22, has been identified as one of three victims killed in a Saturday wrong-way crash in Bell County. Fort Hood soldier, Sgt. Matthew Fernandez, 22, and Joshua Smith, of Copperas Cove, Texas, were identified as the other fatalities. Another individual suffered incapacitating injuries in the crash.
According to reports, Fernandez was operating Toyota Corolla the wrong-way on Interstate 14 near the T.J. Mills Boulevard, when the vehicle came into contact with a Kia Optima around 2 a.m. Saturday. The Toyota then burst into flames.
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Peinado, who was originally from Nipomo, California, and Smith, both passengers in the Kia, died in the crash as did Fernandez.
The driver of the Kia, who has not been identified, was transported to an area hospital with critical unknown injuries.
Sgt. Fernandez was assigned to the 36th Engineer Brigade at Fort Hood.
Peinado was a member of the varsity softball team and the unbeaten golf Team while in high school in Nipomo.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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Geo quick facts: Bell County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 310,235. Its county seat is Belton. The county was founded in 1850 and is named for Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas – Wikipedia.