Five members of a popular summer musical production held each year in the Texas Panhandle have been killed in an early morning auto accident.

Officials say members of "Texas," held at Palo Duro Canyon State Park south of Amarillo, were returning from an end-of-the-year party Tuesday morning when they were involved in a two-vehicle wreck.

The accident happened on U.S. 287 near Dumas, about 40 miles north of Amarillo.

According to DPS Trooper Christopher Ray, at about 11:26 pm, a Ford Taurus driven by Clinton Diaz of Amarillo was traveling west on FM 119 and attempted to turn south onto US 287.

The vehicle pulled out into the path of a southbound semi-truck tractor trailer driven by Theron Arthur McSay of Ft. Collins, CO.

The collision killed five of the six passengers. Timothy Johnson of Portland, OR. Was transported, by Lifestar, to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo with critical injuries. The driver was also transported with serious injuries.

Troopers on the scene are continuing the investigation.

Alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation Executive Director Kris Miller says four of the dead were dancers in the production while the fifth worked in the box office. He says a sixth member was injured and is in surgery.

The names of the deceased have been released as:
Andrew Duncan of Wichita Falls, TX
Clint Diaz of Amarillo, TX
Eric Harrison of Fort Worth, TX
Julian Arrendondo of Haltom, TX
Amanda Starz of Timonium, MD

The foundation produces the musical, which draws up to 65,000 spectators each summer. The last performance of the summer was scheduled for Saturday.

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