In the early hours of July 16, a fatal encounter with a 12 foot alligator took place on State Highway 35 in Texas.
The collision resulted in a truck carrying five occupants – two adults and three children – overturning and settling at an angle in a nearby field. Local authorities reported one fatality and four hospitalizations as a result of the tragic incident.
Emergency services, including Refugio County deputies and fire and medical personnel, were dispatched to the accident site upon receipt of the crash report. All five individuals involved were taken to local hospitals for immediate medical attention.
The driver of the truck, a 33-year-old pregnant woman from New Iberia, Louisiana, Gabrielle Breaux, did not survive her injuries despite the medical team’s best efforts. She was 7 months pregnant and the fetus did not survive either. The other four occupants of the vehicle, her father, Gregory Gerard, 58, and her three children, 13, 11 and six, are expected to make a full recovery.
Photographs depicting the aftermath of the accident, including the deceased alligator, were released by the local police. Refugio County, located about 60 miles north of Corpus Christi, has seen a rise in alligator encounters due to an increasing alligator population and human encroachment on their natural habitats, as reported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
