Saturday was a special day of remembrance at UT Health Quitman as over 60 people gathered to take a look back at the tragic June 8, 1992 traffic crash which claimed the lives of five young people and injured nine for the 30th anniversary of the tragedy.

Three vans from the Dallas Chinese Bible Church were on their way for a summer camp at the Brookhaven Retreat Center near Hawkins. The second van stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Hwy. 69 and FM 69. When it took off from the stop sign it was hit by a loaded concrete truck.

The van exploded into flames as the young people in the other two vans could only watch in horror. Department of Public Safety Trooper Mike Crump was on the scene immediately and began freeing people from the blazing van. Crump was able to pull a number of the fire victims to safety while suffering multiple burns himself.

The Dallas Chinese Church community was well-represented in Quitman Saturday with nurses, doctors, first responders and others who were there for them that tragic Monday.

Dallas business law attorney David Wang was a camp counselor in the second van and one of the organizers of the memorial. Wong gave examples of several of the young survivors with stories of what they are doing now. They are spread across the globe from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to the Philippines.

John Trihn was a young boy who survived the accident and is now in the ministry.

“It was important for me to come today so I can see the eyes and the faces and experience the tears of gratitude,” Trihn said. “Almost every year I hear a story with details of that day. Sometimes I deal with survivor’s guilt.”

Another survivor, Jennie Wang, said, “All of us are thankful. It is so good to be here. I want to thank you for caring for us not just 30 years ago, but caring for us today. Thank you for what you did 30 years ago. It not only had an impact on our church, but the entire Chinese Christian community in the Dallas area.”

One of the event’s organizers is UT Health Quitman’s Joannie Wainscott.

“It’s so important to always be prepared. The better prepared we are, the better job we all do. If you are in emergency medicine you know you have to be ready for the bad things that can happen,” Wainscott noted. ”We are glad so many came out for this commemoration today.”

The Dallas Chinese Church continues to grow in the Richardson area north of Dallas.