Early Sunday a 2015 Lexus headed north on U.S. Highway 87 near Chihuahua Street. The driver was 16-year-old Ava Wetzel. Shortly before 4 a.m. the car left the pavement in the 12000 block.
It entered a grassy area and struck the city’s brick Welcome to La Vernia sign. The SUV overturned. Fire broke out. Ava was alone in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.
She had recently moved to La Vernia from Corpus Christi and attended La Vernia High School. The crash happened on a quiet stretch of road where the welcome sign greets people entering town.
La Vernia Police Chief Donal Keil spoke with school officials. With classes resuming Monday the district is arranging counseling and support for students and staff.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the probe. Investigators have released no information yet on why the Lexus left the roadway. The cause remains under review.
The fire damaged the vehicle and the area around the sign. Debris and burn marks marked the grass where the car came to rest after hitting the brick structure.
In a town the size of La Vernia news of a high school student’s death travels fast. Ava Wetzel’s final moments involved that single-vehicle crash that ended with her SUV on fire beside the welcome sign.
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