Mother's Day tragedy claims life of a child

Officer Mata of the Buffalo Police Department inspects the vehicle that had rolled several times coming off the IH 45 embankment. photo by Mac Shadix An accident on I-45 north of Buffalo claimed the life of an 11-year-old Arlington boy just before noon on Mother's Day. Zachary Missik was a passenger in a southbound Mazda driven by 68-year-old Shirley Elliott, also of Arlington. Elliott reportedly overcorrected after veering into another lane, and apparently lost control of her vehicle. The Mazda crossed both lanes and continued into the west median where it rolled several times down the steep embankment. Zachary, who was in the back seat and not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the car. The child was lifeflighted to Hillcrest Baptist Hospital in Waco, where he died around 1:30 p.m.

The driver and a second passenger, Mary Ann Elliott, 40, received non-life-threatening injuries. Both women were taken to East Texas Medical Center in Fairfield.

Buffalo VFD volunteers, Buffalo PD officers and DPS Officer Johnny Franks worked the accident, and ambulances from Jewett EMS and Legacy EMS transported the victims.