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Seven dead in recent Brazos Valley accidents

A fatal wreck in Leon County brought the death toll from three accidents on Brazos Valley roads to seven people in three days, law enforcement officials said Monday.

Two people were killed Sunday in a four-vehicle accident Sunday evening near Buffalo on I-45, the same highway but farther south on which three people died Friday in Madison County. The two others were on U.S. 290 in Washington County late Saturday.

The most recent wreck killed Dennis George Stankas, 58, of Houston and Megan Shea Grace, 29, of Mansfield; two others were injured in that 6:20 p.m. Sunday accident.

James Bradford Grace, 32, of Mansfield was taken to East Texas Medical Center where he remained in critical condition Monday. William Amos Wall, 72, of Quinlan was treated and released from the Tyler hospital Sunday.

Department of Public Safety reports state George Stankas was traveling in a 2004 Toyota truck in the outside lanes of Interstate 45 southbound at high speeds behind a 2006 Aston Martin driven by David Andrew Cocking, whose age and hometown were not available.

Stankas "took evasive action" to the right of Cocking's vehicle and then overcorrected to the left striking the right front side of the Aston Martin, reports state. Both vehicles veered out of control crossing the median into oncoming lanes of traffic, reports state.

Stankas' vehicle struck a 2006 Dodge truck driven by James Grace head-on while a 1996 Freightliner truck traveling northbound hit the Stankas' vehicle and James Grace's vehicle from the rear, DPS officials said.

George Stankas, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene around 7:05 p.m., DPS reports state.

Authorities said that Megan Grace died around 10:40 p.m. Sunday at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler.

In the Madison County wreck, Mary Aamodt, 75, and Elmer Aamodt, 80, of Grand Prairie and Noel Kuester, 74, of Bellaire died at the scene about six miles south of Madisonville, according to DPS reports. Ana Oliva, 24, of Splendora, and Helen Kuester, 69, received minor injuries, reports state.

Mary Aamodt, driving a Lincoln four-door, was headed southbound when she "failed to maintain a single lane" and struck Oliva's 2008 Honda, causing both cars to lose control and cross the median into the northbound lanes where they hit a 1998 Honda driven by Helen Kuester, according to DPS reports.

In Washington County on Saturday, two women were killed in an accident on U.S. 290 just east of the F.M. 2447 intersection.

Bryan resident Candace Lowe, 55, and Darla Perez, 20, of Cypress died in the 10 p.m. accident.

All three of the wrecks remained under investigation late Monday.

Department of Public Safety trooper Sgt. Charles Booker said drivers should never take the task of being behind a wheel for granted. The majority of wrecks in general, he said, are due to driver inattention.

"Be conscious of drivers who may not be as safety-conscious as you are," he said. "And leave 15 to 30 minutes early so you don't have to rush to where you're going."

• Janet Phelps' e-mail address is janet.phelps@theeagle.com.