Major county intersection will change into all-way stop

A major Gonzales County intersection where a truck driver was killed earlier this year trying to avoid another vehicle will be converted into an all-way stop next week.

Work is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 3, to convert the intersection of U.S. 90 and Texas 304 by Texas Department of Transportation officials, who stated “the safety of drivers on Texas roadways is TxDOT’s top priority.”

This comes after a June 8 fatal accident when a tractor-trailer driver tried to minimize the collision he had with a vehicle and lost his own life in the process.

According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report summary, a Nissan passenger vehicle was southbound on FM 304 at 5:55 a.m. approaching US 90 while the tractor-trailer was eastbound on US 90 and approaching the same intersection. The intersection has a stop sign for those traveling on FM 304, while traffic on US 90 does not stop.

The Nissan failed to yield the right of way at the stop sign, and pulled into the path of the semi, which tried to avoid the car but ultimately struck the right front quarter panel of the Nissan. The Nissan spun counter-clockwise and came to rest upright on the unimproved shoulder at the intersection’s northeast corner.

The tractor-trailer rolled to the right and became detached and the truck-tractor came to rest upright on the unimproved shoulder on the north side of US 90, while the trailer came to rest in the middle of US 90 on its right side.

The driver of the rig, who was later identified as Allen Groff, 67, of Seguin, was declared dead at the scene while three passengers in the Nissan were transported by ground and air ambulance to Seton Hays Hospital.

The work to convert the intersection could be delayed due to weather conditions. TxDOT plans to use changeable message signs to alert drivers of the upcoming change.