A bright young woman’s life was cut tragically short this week when authorities confirmed the death of 22-year-old Totiana Samuels of Fort Worth, following a violent head-on collision on Sunday evening on the westbound lanes of Interstate 30 near downtown Fort Worth. The crash, believed to have been caused by a wrong-way driver, has thrown the community into sorrow and questions.
According to reports from the Fort Worth Police Department, the incident occurred just before 7:30 p.m. when a vehicle traveling the wrong way on I-30 collided head-on with another car. Officers responded to the scene and found that at least three people had been critically injured. The wrong-way driver, identified as 45-year-old Gary Morton, whose arrest records show he’s from Alberta, Canada, is charged with multiple counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle and driving while intoxicated.
Samuels passed away Tuesday afternoon from the severe injuries she sustained in the wreck. Her death is now expected to prompt upgraded charges against Morton. In the aftermath, two other victims—a 26-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man—remain hospitalized in critical condition after suffering serious injuries in the crash. Samuels’ loss has deeply affected friends, family and the wider Fort Worth community, all struggling to process how a promising life could end so abruptly.
Investigators say Morton remained hospitalized and thus no mug shot was available at the time of these reports. Officials say the charges against him, currently at three counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and one count of DWI, will likely be elevated to reflect the deadly outcome. The police have referred the matter to their Traffic Investigation Unit and the ongoing investigation includes toxicology and other standard procedures.
Inside the crash details: Emergency crews were dispatched to the 300 West Freeway area in Fort Worth, responding to a major accident involving a vehicle traveling opposite of traffic. One vehicle had reportedly been entering the westbound lanes of I-30 the wrong way, leading to the collision. The impact was described as so violent that one occupant was reportedly ejected from a vehicle. For several hours the westbound I-30 lanes were shut down at the I-35W interchange while the scene was processed and traffic diverted.
What is known about Samuels paints a portrait of a young life full of promise. Though details of her personal life remain private, the fact she was named as the victim underscores the human toll behind the statistics. The Fort Worth community is now coping with the shock and sorrow of losing someone so young and full of possibility. Friends and loved ones have spoken of her kindness, energy and the bright future she was building.
The two other crash victims continue to fight for recovery, while the community hopes for some measure of healing in the days ahead. For their families, the emotional weight of this event is vast—worry for those still hospitalized, grief for the one lost, and the challenge of navigating the legal aftermath. The crash serves as a stark reminder of how a single moment of reckless driving can ripple out and forever alter many lives.
As the investigation continues and charges potentially evolve, Fort Worth officials urge vigilance and caution for all drivers. Sunday night’s tragedy on I-30 is a sobering example of why never driving impaired—and being alert to wrong-way traffic—is so critical. Samuels’ passing remains a heartbreaking wake-up call to the cost of a moment’s wrong decision on the road.
