One of the top blues guitarists in Texas, “Mean” Gene Kelton, died when trying to pass another vehicle on FM 2100 and his vehicle collided head-on with a Crosby school bus transporting a girls’ basketball team Tueseday night.
Kelton, based in Houston, had been planning a New Year’s Eve bash at a club in Crosby. The long-haired, bearded Kelton was known for such songs as
Too White to Play the Blues, My Baby Don’t Wear No Panties, Tears on My Guitar and
Going Back to Memphis.
He and his band, the Die Hards, were known for their performances of Southern rock and Texas blues across the United States.
Kelton, driving a sport utility vehicle, was killed in the wreck at 8:45 p.m. at FM 2100 at Tall Cedars. Twelve people on the bus — nine players of the Crosby High School 9th-grade girls basketball team, the coach, the coach’s daughter and the 69-year-old driver – were taken to an area hospital, said Sgt. Glen Wolverton with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Crosby Superintendent Dr. Keith Moore was returning home after an evening in Humble when he drove up on the accident scene just minutes after it occurred.
“It scared me to death when I saw it,” he said.
He assisted the injured students who were transported to several different hospitals. “I didn’t see any serious injuries. There were busted lips, bumps, bruises, cuts , sore knees and headaches.”
The accident occurred just after the coach had told the students to start calling parents to come pick them up as they were nearing the school.
“I’ve been the superintendent here since June and we had a cheerleader killed in a car wreck on this road the third day after I got here,” he said. “This road is extremely dangerous. It needs to be widened. There’s no median, no turning lane.”
The students were returning from a tournament in Liberty. None of their injuries were thought to be life-threatening, authorities said.
The wreck occurred after a red Ford Mustang in front of a northbound white Ford Explorer slowed or stopped to turn left, Wolverton said. The road is two-lane at that point, and Kelton moved into oncoming traffic and into the path of the southbound bus, striking it head-on.
Wolverton said the passengers, who were not wearing seat belts, were lucky.
“I’m sure it was pretty scary,” he said. “They probably didn’t see it coming.”
Investigators said they do not know late Tuesday why Kelton did not notice the bus coming down the road. They are investigating whether alcohol was involved.
Investigators said they believe Kelton did not brake before the collision, Wolverton said. The speed limit on that stretch of the road is 55 mph.
The impact demolished the front end of the SUV. The front end of the bus was crushed.
One Crosby ISD school board member said the road is known to be dangerous.
“What can we do to improve the safety out here?” Joann Crawford asked. “Who next will be killed? FM 2100 is recognized as one of the most dangerous roads in the state of Texas.”
