At approximately 12:43 p.m. on Friday, April 25, 2025, the Nacogdoches 911 center received multiple calls reporting a major accident in the 4000 block of E Main Street (Highway 21 East).
Responding officers determined that a Chevrolet pickup, driven by 27-year-old Dakoda Bennefield of Nacogdoches, was traveling eastbound on East Main Street with 54-year-old passenger Nancy Michelle Bennefield. An Isuzu box truck, driven by 28-year-old Chaz Jones of Lufkin, was traveling westbound when the two vehicles collided head-on in the roadway.
Preliminary evidence indicates that the Isuzu box truck swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid a collision with a stopped vehicle.
Dakoda Bennefield was found deceased at the scene by first responders. Nancy Bennefield was transported to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Chaz Jones was also transported to Memorial Hospital for severe injuries and was later transferred to a hospital in Tyler for further treatment.
The investigation remains ongoing as Nacogdoches Police Department officers continue to conduct follow-up investigations to determine all circumstances related to the crash.
