“Chain-Reaction Crash on U.S. 87 Leaves One Woman Dead and Three Vehicles Damaged”
San Angelo, Texas — Intersection of March Road and U.S. Highway 87.
What began as a quiet, clear morning in Tom Green County turned into chaos on Tuesday when a chain-reaction crash sent debris and a tire hurtling across U.S. 87, leaving one woman gone and four vehicles damaged. The crash, which happened just after sunrise, began when Tracy Danielle Daigle, 56, of Grape Creek, failed to stop at a posted sign and drove her 2014 Ford Focus directly into the path of a westbound Ford Fusion.
The impact was so violent that it tore the left-rear tire from Daigle’s car, sending it rolling across the highway “like a loose cannon,” according to investigators. The runaway tire struck a Chevrolet Equinox traveling in the outside westbound lane. That impact caused the Equinox to slow suddenly, leading a Toyota pickup behind it to crash into the rear of the SUV. Within seconds, what should have been a two-car collision became a four-vehicle pileup stretching across both westbound lanes.
Tracy Danielle Daigle, the driver of the Ford Focus, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, which likely contributed to the severity of her injuries. She had been traveling southbound on March Road, a route that intersects U.S. 87 just north of San Angelo. Witnesses reported seeing her car approach the stop sign but said it never slowed before entering the intersection.
Daigle was a longtime resident of Grape Creek, remembered by family and friends as warmhearted, hard-working, and devoted to her small community. Neighbors said she was often seen tending to her garden or chatting with locals at the nearby market. Her sudden passing has shaken the close-knit area where she lived for decades.
The driver of the Ford Fusion, a 33-year-old man whose name has not been released, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene before being transported to a local hospital for observation. He is expected to make a full recovery. The Chevrolet Equinox was driven by a 42-year-old woman, and the Toyota pickup by a 29-year-old woman; both escaped unharmed but described the incident as “terrifying and unavoidable.”
Responding officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) arrived within minutes and immediately shut down the westbound lanes of U.S. 87 to allow emergency crews to clear debris and begin their investigation. Skid marks stretched across the asphalt, and vehicle parts littered the intersection. The Ford Focus, nearly unrecognizable from the collision, came to rest on the shoulder with severe front-end damage.
Investigators say weather was not a factor — the morning was clear, visibility excellent, and the pavement dry. The primary question now is why Daigle failed to stop at the intersection. DPS officials have not ruled out the possibility of distraction, fatigue, or a medical episode, but said no definitive cause has been determined. “There’s no indication of impairment,” one trooper stated, “but we’re still looking at all possibilities.”
Traffic was diverted for more than three hours as crews worked to tow the vehicles and clear the wreckage. By late morning, normal flow resumed, though pieces of debris and tire marks served as grim reminders of the sudden, violent crash.
Friends and family of Tracy Daigle have begun organizing a small memorial in her honor. “She was always smiling,” said one longtime friend. “To think she’s gone because of one moment — it doesn’t seem real.”
The Texas DPS continues to investigate the circumstances leading up to the crash. Meanwhile, the intersection at March Road and U.S. 87 remains a focus of local concern — an open, flat stretch of highway where drivers are often lulled into a false sense of safety.
As investigators reconstruct the final moments of that morning, one truth remains clear: in just a few seconds, a simple drive turned into a chain of events that cost a life and shook an entire community.
May Tracy Danielle Daigle rest in peace.
