Troup Couple Killed in Head-On Crash on Mixon Road in Smith County

What Happened on Mixon Road?

A married couple from Troup was killed in a head-on collision on Mixon Road in Smith County on the evening of Friday, July 24, 2026, according to KLTV and the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Both outlets cite Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Adam Albritton.

DPS says the crash happened at about 6 p.m. Ashlee Lann Frantz, 34, was a passenger in a 2018 Toyota Corolla and was pronounced dead at the scene. Adam Christopher Frantz, 38, was driving and was taken to a hospital, where he later died of his injuries. Both were from Troup.

According to the preliminary DPS investigation, the Corolla was traveling north when it entered the opposite lane as the road went around a curve and struck a Mercedes head-on. The driver of the Mercedes, identified by KLTV as Daniel Massed of Grand Saline, was taken to a hospital; KLTV reported his injuries as not life-threatening, and the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported he was still hospitalized as of Saturday.

DPS says the crash remains under investigation. Preliminary accounts can change, and no final determination of cause or fault has been announced.

Head-On Crashes on Two-Lane East Texas Roads

Rural two-lane roads like Mixon Road carry opposing traffic with no median between them, and a curve leaves little room and little time to react. Federal safety data has long shown that a large share of fatal crashes in the United States happen on rural roads even though far fewer miles are driven there — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that rural and urban traffic deaths occur in roughly comparable numbers despite the much smaller rural population. Head-on collisions are among the most severe crash types because the speeds of both vehicles combine.

Who Can Be Affected?

• The family of the passenger who was killed, and the family of the driver who was killed
• The driver of the second vehicle, who was hospitalized after the collision
• Passengers, relatives, or dependents left with medical bills, funeral costs, lost income, or the loss of a loved one

What Kind of Claim Might Apply?

Attorneys who handle Texas crash cases generally describe several paths that can apply once the facts are established. Which of them fits any particular person depends on findings that have not been made yet in this case:

• A wrongful death and survival claim — under Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, the surviving spouse, children, and parents of a person killed by another’s wrongful act can generally seek compensation, and the estate can bring a survival claim of its own.
• A personal injury claim for an injured driver — a person seriously hurt in a collision can face hospital bills, lost income, and a long recovery, and Texas law lets an injured person seek compensation for those harms.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage — the Texas Department of Insurance explains that this optional coverage helps pay for injuries caused by a driver who has no insurance or not enough. It also matters when the available liability limits are far smaller than the losses. A lawyer can read each person’s own auto policy along with any other coverage that may apply.
• Passenger claims — a passenger is rarely responsible for how a crash happened, and attorneys often look first at every insurance policy that may cover a passenger’s injuries or death, including policies belonging to relatives in the same household.
• Preserving the evidence — attorneys often move quickly to preserve the vehicles, the data stored inside them, roadway and skid evidence, and the findings of the official DPS investigation before the cars are repaired or released.

None of this assumes fault on anyone’s part. It reflects the questions Texas attorneys say injured people and grieving families often ask after a head-on crash, and the evidence they typically want preserved before conclusions are drawn.

Why Acting Quickly Can Matter

For most Texas wrongful death and injury cases, the statute of limitations is generally two years — a lawyer can explain how those deadlines apply to a specific situation. Vehicles and the data inside them can be released, repaired, or scrapped within days or weeks. Many families and injured people choose to have a lawyer send a preservation letter and begin an independent review early, while the DPS investigation is still developing and the physical evidence still exists.

Sources

1. KLTV — Troup couple killed in head-on crash on Mixon Road in Smith County, DPS says
2. Tyler Morning Telegraph — DPS: Two Troup residents killed in crash on Mixon Road
3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Rural road safety
4. Texas Department of Insurance — Auto insurance guide (uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage)
5. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 71 (Wrongful Death; Survival)
6. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 16 (Limitations)