Father, son dead following crash
FERRIS (Updated Thursday, Nov. 18) – A Ferris man and his son lost their lives Monday just after sunset when they were struck by a motorist heading eastbound on Farm-to-Market Road 664 and Jimmy Birdwell Blvd.
Around 6 p.m., the man and his son were attempting to cross the road when they were hit by the vehicle.
In a statement received Wednesday, Nov. 17 from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Sgt. Sara Warren, “The child lost control of a basketball and ran into the roadway after it. The adult attempted to catch the child before the child entered the roadway. Both the adult and child were in the roadway and were struck by the Ford.”
The victims were 36-year-old, Edward Beltran, of Ferris and his 5-year-old son, later identified as Ethan Beltran.
The driver was identified as Ferris City Attorney Michael Halla, reportedly on his way to a city council meeting when the accident occurred.
According to city records, Halla is not a city employee, but contract legal representation.
Several other members of the family had already walked across the highway.
The Ferris Police Department, Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety worked the accident.
According to Sgt. Warren, “The investigation is still on-going and there is no other information available at this time.”
A GoFundMe account for the family has been created at https://www.gofundme.com/f/edward-ethan-memorial?utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2xRFXMWdEV2mfA-ULzkzdH-5tHflvGSUCeeaWpYjmCgB0TVNKJnhW8cbk