A quiet stretch of State Highway 136 in Potter County turned into a heartbreaking scene before sunrise Monday morning after a violent wrong-way crash claimed the life of 18-year-old Tori Dakota Bunch and seriously injured another teenager.
According to investigators, the crash happened around 5:51 a.m. on May 26 just south of El Rancho Road. Authorities said a 2016 Ford F-150 was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes when it slammed head-on into a 2017 Ford Fusion driven by Bunch, a young woman from Panhandle.
The impact was devastating. Troopers said the Ford pickup burst into flames moments after the collision, sending smoke and fire into the dark early morning sky. In the middle of the chaos, several Good Samaritans reportedly rushed toward the burning truck without hesitation and pulled 17-year-old driver Elias Shane Kincanon out before the fire could spread further.
Kincanon, who is from Amarillo, suffered serious injuries and was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital for treatment. Officials said both teenagers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, but the force of the collision caused catastrophic damage to both vehicles.
For Bunch’s loved ones, the news became every family’s worst nightmare. Troopers confirmed she died at the scene from injuries suffered in the crash. Friends and community members have since been left mourning a young life that ended far too soon on a highway that many travel every day without a second thought.
Investigators also revealed that a second crash happened moments later when another southbound vehicle struck the rear right side of the burning pickup truck. Thankfully, no one else was hurt in that collision, though the already tragic scene became even more intense for emergency crews rushing to contain the situation.
First responders spent hours working the crash site, clearing debris and helping shaken drivers in the area. Patrol units, firefighters, and medical crews remained on scene as traffic backed up around the highway during the early morning hours.
Authorities are still trying to determine why the pickup truck was driving in the wrong direction before the deadly impact. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the investigation remains active as family members, friends, and neighbors continue grieving the sudden loss of Tori Dakota Bunch while hoping for the recovery of the injured teenager.
