Accident Takes Life of Driver on FM 563

LIBERTY, December 28, 2004 - A one-vehicle major accident occurred on FM 563 near CR 143 about 6 miles south of Liberty around 2:00 PM Tuesday afternoon. Traffic was restricted to one lane near the accident scene during the investigation.

The driver was trapped in his vehicle and the City of Liberty Fire Department responded to the scene with the Jaws of Life. The Moss Bluff Volunteer Fire Department established and manned a landing zone at the nearby church where Life Flight landed.

However the serious nature of the driver’s injuries necessitated his immediate transport to Liberty Dayton Community Hospital by Liberty County EMS. According to DPS Trooper Tommy Chase the driver, identified as James Robert Heathman age 64 of Liberty died in route to the hospital.

According to Trooper Chase, the white Toyota Tacoma pickup was traveling south on FM 563 and left the roadway to the right then, slowly drifted across the northbound lanes, into the ditch where it collided head on with a tree.

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