Talented Basketball Player Dies In Car Crash July 3rd
Deion Jackson-Houston, rated as one of the top basketball recruits in the Class of 2012, died over the Fourth of July holiday weekend when a train crashed into a car he was driving in Duncan, Okla. Jackson-Houston, a talented point guard from Duncanville, Texas, was the leader of Texas Bluechips-Navy, an elite Amateur Athletic Union 17-and-under basketball team. He was considered the main attraction for college scouts at this week's summer showcase tournament that will start play Friday in Duncanville.
Duncanville boys basketball coach Eric McDade says he is still in shock. “You don't think about this kind of thing happening and when it does, you just realize how precious life really is,” McDade said.
Jackson-Houston was on a trip to a local Family Dollar store while visiting relatives when a train hit the back passenger side door of the automobile he was driving at about 7 p.m. on July 3rd. According to reports, he was driving up onto the tracks and slowed down before he proceeded on. I guess he just didn’t see the train. I wonder whether the intersection had lights and gates? Was a horn blown? The news reports did not mention this, but it makes me wonder if this death could have been prevented.
The train reportedly dragged Jackson-Houston's car almost two blocks before it pushed the automobile off the tracks. Jackson-Houston did not have a pulse when he was placed in an ambulance but later regained one at Duncan Regional Hospital.
Two hours later, Jackson-Houston was flown to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City where he died after 11 p.m. His father says that while he looked fine from the outside, his internal injuries were just too severe.
Last season, Jackson-Houston was a starter for Duncanville and played next to three highly-regarded players in Perry Jones, an All-American forward/center, Julian Washburn and Luke Mergerson. According to his father, Jackson-Houston had scholarship offers from Southern Methodist, Florida International, Baylor, Old Dominion, San Jose State, North Texas, San Diego State and Bradley.
These types of accidents are always tragic, but this is especially hard to write about because he was a young kid with a bright future. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Jackson-Houston family. There are over 6 million auto wrecks each year, with almost 3 million resulting personal injuries and approximately 42,000 crash related deaths.
Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. For questions concerning a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.
