Editor's Note: A young man from Muldrow, Blaz Denton McMullan, 19, was killed in an accident in Azle, Texas, Tuesday. The following is courtesy of the Azle News.



An outing turned tragic for a group of young men Tuesday afternoon when a speeding motorcycle hit a guardrail in the 300 block of Highway 199.

Blaz McMullan, 19, died at the scene. There were no other injuries.

According to Azle police investigators, McMullan was traveling with at least two other vehicles to Lake Worth (Texas) on the spring-like afternoon.

He was driving a red and black 2002 Yamaha R6 motorcycle registered to Derik Lote of Weatherford (Texas). McMullan may have been racing a friend, 18-year-old Kenson Short of Azle, according to Police Chief Steve Myers.

Short was driving a 2002 Mustang.

McMullan hit the guardrail where it starts, just east of the access ramp from Stewart Street onto the eastbound lanes of the highway.

The young man was thrown from the motorcycle on the first impact, according to the preliminary investigation, Myers said. He came to rest in the right hand lane an estimated 50 yards from that impact.

The motorcycle slid along the pavement an estimated additional 100 yards, Myers said.

One of the first things Myers noticed when he arrived at the accident scene was the distances involved, he said.

"Our initial speed estimate is that the bike was sliding down the freeway, after impact and with the friction with the pavement, the bike was sliding at more than 70 miles per hour," Myers said.

After McMullan was thrown from the bike, it came in contact with a second vehicle, driven by Daniel Van Hooser, also among the group traveling together, Myers said.

Van Hooser was driving a silver Honda four-door sedan.

No citation was issued at the scene, Myers said. However, if investigators determine racing was involved, the case could be referred to a Tarrant County grand jury for possible criminal charges, Myers said.

Short, the driver of the Mustang, remained at the scene after the accident, Myers said. However, a passenger in the vehicle returned to it and drove away from the scene before police arrived.

"There is no duty for a passenger to stop and render aid," Myers said. The passenger was identified but had not been interviewed early Wednesday, he said

McMullan's permanent address is in Muldrow, but witnesses said he has lived in Azle for about a year, Myers said.

Short's mother, Gena, told the Azle News Wednesday afternoon that the three vehicles were traveling together but she doesn't believe they were racing.

"Blaz and Daniel switched lanes at the same time to get around traffic. They weren't racing, but they were probably both going too fast," she said. "But Blaz didn't have anywhere to go and he hit the guardrail."

She pronounced his first name as "Blaze."

Gena Short said her house in Azlewood has been filled with friends of the young man, who spent a lot of time in her home.

McMullan worked as a backhoe driver for his grandfather, she said. The two were in Azle with another member of their family to work in gas drilling, she said. They are natives of Muldrow.

McMullan viewed Azle and the area as "a big city," Short said.

The young man's mother, stepfather and two younger sisters remain in Muldrow.

"He made good money and he enjoyed life," Short said.

The mother of two sons who are close in age to McMullan said the young man worked long hours, sometimes seven days a week. However, his grandfather was between projects and he had a few days off.

"Blaz was very friendly," she said. "He made friends easily. A lot of kids in my house last night were from Springtown."

Several of the young men involved in the incident are seniors at Azle High School, Myers and Dr. Edd Bigbee, school superintendent, said.

The school district has counselors and a social worker available to help any students who are troubled by the accident, Bigbee said.

Gena Short said many of the young friends are "writing to him" on MySpace, an Internet communications forum.

Funeral services for McMullan will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Muldrow Assembly of God Church.

(See complete obituary on Page A2.)