That's a long long way to travel the wrong direction. I really don't think he relied on WAZE for what is essentially a 1 turn trip all the way from San Marcos to Houston. There's 1 turn and it is in town at a lighted intersection. Miss it? Maybe .. hardly.. but OK, miss it and you go across the intersection and turn around. You don't drive 6 miles down a gravel road in the wrong direction. Waze is messed up sometimes but not that messed up. This is precisely why I don't think he drove the car there.
I could not agree with you more.
I am also familiar with the drive from TSU to Houston-- pre and post cellular phones and navigational apps. And while I admit to being directionally challenged, I can attest that never have I needed a navigational app to drive 23 miles on the San Marcos Hwy (TX80), and connect to Interstate-10 at the interchange in Luling, TX. It's a no brainer. (As for the city limits of Houston, that's another story)!
IMO, Texas is no different than most of the US where state and county roads predate the Interstate system. Whereas many state highways tend to run right through the city center (i.e., towns grew/expanded around the roads), the Interstate system was intentionally built along the outskirts of towns.
As previously noted, JL's route from school to the family home in Missouri City requires traveling about 23 miles on the San Marcos Highway to connect to I-10 in Luling. This drive requires no stops, turns, off-ramps, or merging until you reach the well-appointed traffic light at the intersection of E. Austin St (which is also the San Marcos Hwy or TX-80), and Magnolia Ave (running N & S).
JL's speed approaching this intersection would be reduced from 55 MPH to 30 MPH. Multiple road signs at the intersection direct you to turn right on Magnolia Ave (equivalent to southbound on TX-80), to the I-10 interchange.
When at the intersection, JL would also have the choice to turn left (183 North), or cross the intersection and continue forward on E. Austin to a residential zone, not a highway. (His father seems to believe JL missed the turn and continued straight).
In my experience, I can see a driver taking two incorrect routes here that would lead to Salt Flat Road where the car was found crashed in the road ditch.
However, I believe following either one of these incorrect routes would immediately seem like a detour. IMO, even if the Queen was directing you via the app, instinctively, you'd know you were in the weeds and would stop and turn back towards the intersection.
For example, the incorrect routes leading to the crash site:
Possible wrong way #1:
11 min (5.0 miles) via Salt Flat Rd
From the San Marcos Hwy, continuing east on E Austin St toward N Magnolia Ave:
Continue
straight to stay on E Austin St - 0.2 mi
Continue onto Spruce Ave - 0.5 mi
Continue onto Salt Flat Rd - 4.2 mi
End at the
approx crash site: 2365 Salt Flat Rd - Luling, TX 78648
Crossing the intersection, staying straight on E. Austin, leads to a dark neighborhood/posted speed is 30 MPH. 700 block of E. Austin mainly consists of a corner church and a basketball court; the 800-900 blocks are residential homes. At the end of the 900 block of E. Austin St. is a stop sign where the road forks. It doesn't follow how anybody lost would go past this stop sign!
If veering left at the fork, this is Spruce Ave -- a narrow, dark road. 100, 200, 300 Spruce Ave only gets darker. Spruce Ave becomes Salt Flat Road. Nothing here to see in the darkness except for the cemetery and Superior Disposal before eventually reaching the crash site. (From the Magnolia Ave traffic light - about 11 mins or 5 miles).
Possible wrong way #2:
7 min (4.9 miles) via FM86 N
From San Marcos Hwy, continuing east on E Austin St toward N Magnolia Ave:
Turn left at the 1st cross street onto N Magnolia Ave - 0.8 mi
Turn right onto FM86 N - 3.3 mi
Turn right onto Pumper Rd - 0.4 mi
Turn left onto Salt Flat Rd - 0.4 mi
End at the approx crash site:
2365 Salt Flat Rd - Luling, TX 78648
Left at the traffic light (northbound on Magnolia Ave) would put JL on 183 -- a four-lane roadway with the posted speed of 45 MPH, later increasing to 55 MPH. Unlike wrong-way #1, this route is wide, paved, with safe shoulder and guard rails - looks like a typical TX highway.
A right turn at Napa Auto parts to FM 86 begins a paved, country lane with soft gravel shoulder, improving to grass before narrowing to guard rails with no shoulders, shortly before the Pumper Rd turn off. Pumper Road is a single, gravel lane road, with a posted speed at 30 MPH. A narrow culvert exists when approaching the stop sign at the Salt Flat Rd intersection. Left onto Salt Flat Road is more gravel. This area would be very dark after sunset.
IMO, neither of the wrong ways noted above even vaguely resemble the approach to I-10 in Luling. JL is a Texan and unless he was somehow driving impaired, he would know that he missed the turn long before arriving at Salt Lake Rd. (From the intersection, about 7 mins or 4.9 miles).
I'm not discounting that JL was being chased or somebody else was driving the vehicle. I hope JL is recovered soon. Prayers and strength for his family & friends.
MOO
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