He leaves behind a "beautiful 4-month-old daughter".
A loose tire dropped from a trailer truck and struck the car windshield of a 21-year-old father on a Texas highway on the night of April 13, killing him instantly. He leaves behind a 4-month-old baby girl.
Family members who spoke to ABC 13, identified him as Clayton Vaughn. The man's girlfriend, who was driving, was brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening wounds. The Harris County District Attorney's Office shared that the tire flew off an 18-wheeler pulling a landscaping-style trailer as it was traveling eastward on the Katy Freeway.
Family members say 21 yo Clayton Vaughn was the person killed on the Katy Fwy last night when a tire flew off of a truck or trailer & smashed into the vehicle his girlfriend was driving, causing the SUV to swerve across 6 lanes of traffic. He leaves behind a 4 month old daughter. pic.twitter.com/H4GyqwMbdS
— Damali Keith/News Journalist (@DamaliFox26) April 14, 2023
Priscilla Stansell, the victim's aunt, has created a GoFundMe campaign to assist her nephew's girlfriend and daughter, per PEOPLE. "Hi, my name is Priscilla Stansell, and I am raising money on behalf of my nephew Clayton, who lost his life last night suddenly and very tragically in a car accident," the fundraiser shares, adding that her sister, i.e. Vaughn's mom, does not have funds to organize a funeral.
"My sister Rebecca does not have the money to cover the costs of the funeral services, so my hope in raising money is that this will alleviate some of the stress she is feeling." She further noted, "I also would like for some of the money to be set aside for Clayton's beautiful 4-month-old daughter that he leaves behind. I do not want her to ever have to worry about a thing in this life without her daddy."
Evan Richard, Vaughn's uncle, talked to ABC 13 and demanded accountability for his nephew's death. "I'm not here to place judgment. Things happen, but obviously, negligence of some sort played a role in this," Richard said. "He was a passenger in a vehicle struck by an oncoming tire. What are the chances of something like this happening?" he asked. He continued, "You should know, you are endangering lives around you, and I can't bring him back. But I can get the message out that you can do better. The city can do better."
This mom needs your help after her 21yo son Clayton Vaughn was killed n that horrible wreck on the KatyFwy when a tire fell from a truck&smashed through the windshield on the SUV’s passenger side where Clayton was riding. He leaves behind a 4 mo babygirl. https://t.co/6bSQmCG6Ro
— Damali Keith/News Journalist (@DamaliFox26) April 15, 2023
If the truck driver is found, they may be charged with failing to stop and offer aid once the Harris County District Attorney's Office reviews the incident's evidence.
The truck was unremarkable and had no license plate, according to witness, Randrell Alexander, who spoke with the media. According to her, the tire rolled into the HOV lane, struck a white F-150 pickup vehicle, jumped the barrier, and then struck Vaughn's SUV. "It went straight into the windshield like 'Boom!' I saw it. I saw glass and I saw the hood pop up and the car started spinning," Alexander told ABC 13.
References:
https://abc13.com/katy-freeway-accident-i-10-traffic-collision-loose-tire/13128147/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/5vyq9f-clayton-vaughn-memorial
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
