James Averette, 69, of Big Spring was pronounced dead at the scene by Howard County Justice of the Peace Kathryn Wiseman. The accident took place about 9:25 a.m. near the 334 mile marker on Highway 350, according to officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“Mr. Averette was traveling west on Highway 350 in a 2005 Ford pickup when he ran off the left side of the roadway, traveling into a bar ditch,” said Gilbert Villarreal, a communications officer with the DPS regional office in Midland. “At that point, he hit a culvert, which caused the vehicle to roll three times.”

Villareal said the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

“There's nothing in the report to indicate the cause of the accident,” he said.

The posted speed limit where the accident occurred is 70 MPH, according to DPS records, which also confirmed Averette was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it