A Fischer business owner who warned officials of dangerous conditions at the intersection of FM 32 and FM 3424 lost his brother Saturday in a horrific car accident just a half mile east on FM 32.
There is no stoplight at the busy intersection.
According to details provided by Michael Harwell, Freddie Lenn Harwell of Spring Branch was killed in a head-on collision when the driver of a white Ford pickup truck pulling an enclosed trailer allegedly lost control of his vehicle on a curve and slammed into Harwell’s black Chevrolet pickup.
His wife, Vicki Harwell, survived the crash, sustaining three broken ribs, a broken finger and damage to her spleen. She is hospitalized in Kyle and expected to make a full recovery.
Michael Harwell said the driver of the white pickup truck told him he was making a delivery to Lockhart for his boss and lost control after his trailer locked up.
FM 32 was closed for over three hours after the collision.
“Devil’s highway has won for now,” Harwell said in an email. FM 32 runs past the Devil’s Backbone Overlook, a scenic limestone ridge with a reputation for being haunted.
This was the second accident on FM 32 Saturday. MyCanyonlake.com has contacted the Comal County Sheriff’s Office for details.
Michael Harwell owns a site development company at the intersection of FM 32 and FM 3424, and his security camera points right at the intersection.
So far this year, it has captured two major non-fatality accidents.
On May 4, Austin Police Department Det. Israel Garcia was killed approximately 1,500 feet east of the intersection after his motorcycle struck a wild hog, Harwell said.
“You can see why people fly, they don’t see the intersection.”
On NextDoor, a man commenting on the death of Freddie Harwell dubbed FM 32 the “highway to heaven.”
After MyCanyonLake.com shared one of Harwell’s unnerving accident videos on Facebook March 20, a reader commented:
“I have to turn left out of here every day and it’s terrifying,” one said. “You can’t see very far to the left because there’s a hill. This intersection desperately needs a full four-way traffic light with signs and rumble strips leading up to it.”
In an April 22 email to MyCanyonLake.com, TxDOT Public Information Officer Tanya Brown said “there is a funded operational improvement project in the planning stages.”
Comal County Pct. 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover said a roundabout will go in at the intersection of FM 484 and FM 3424 — but not until 2027. Plans are not finalized.
Shoulder improvements to FM 32 are expected later this year, she said.
Farm-to-market roads are managed by TxDOT, not Comal County.
Brown urges drivers to remain vigilant and exercise caution when approaching any intersection.
“The blinking beacon overhead is specifically designed to increase driver awareness of the intersection and alert them to the presence of cross traffic,” she said in a statement. “The intersecting roads are controlled by stop signs, with through traffic having the right of way…even with signal control, there are instances where some drivers unfortunately fail to stop, potentially leading to crashes.”
TxDOT advocates for increased law-enforcement presence at intersections with frequent violations, she said.
“This can play a significant role in reducing crash incidents.”
