2 arrested for allegedly concealing evidence related to crash that killed Vandegrift grad, friend

Arrests made in connection to crash that killed 2 men

Two people have been arrested in Polk County for allegedly concealing evidence in connection to a 2023 crash that killed a Vandegrift graduate and his friend.

POLK COUNTY, Texas - Two people have been arrested in Polk County for allegedly concealing evidence in connection to a deadly 2023 crash. 

A Vandegrift graduate and his friend were killed in a crash involving an 18-wheeler.

Vandegrift High School graduate Graylan Spring and his friend, Micah McAfoose

What they're saying:

Video from a feed store in Polk County shows the seconds before the crash on the rainy day in January 2023.

Inside the car was Vandegrift High School graduate Graylan Spring, and his friend, Micah McAfoose. They were both playing ball at Stephen F. Austin State University and were heading to Houston to support their friend at a track meet.

Krista Spring, Graylan’s mother, received a phone call from the Corrigan Police Chief.

"My first thought was this is not really real, and he got real serious and I just remember starting to shake and got real nervous, and I got a piece of paper and wrote down the information that he gave me," Spring said.

She said her family rushed to the piney woods of East Texas.

"My thought was, well, maybe he's got a broken arm or something simple. But there was nothing simple about what we walked into, it was a nightmare," Spring said.

McAfoose died in the crash. Spring later passed away at the hospital.

"It was the worst thing I've ever experienced in my entire life," Spring said.

Antonio Sandoval was the driver of the 18-wheeler.

"I pulled out of there, I didn’t see nobody coming so I pulled out, I looked in the mirror on that side so no one would hit me so I could get in here and by the time I knew it, he was under here," Sandoval told investigators on the scene.

The man who Sandoval was driving for, Marlin Kendall Hughes, later showed up. He is apparently known in town. Police officers even pointed it out.

"My point is this is a hot potato for us because of Hughes Trucking, and I just wanted an extra set of eyes. Who is Mr. Hughes to y’all? He owns the majority of the city," police officers said, as seen on body camera footage.

During the inspection and investigation, Sandoval went through the tires and lights, and a dash camera is seen on the windshield, but law enforcement didn’t take it.

Court records revealed after a crash, Sandoval was driving the 18-wheeler back to Hughes Trucking Company when Hughes called and asked him if he had a dash camera. Sandoval said he did, and Hughes asked him to bring it to him. Sandoval later told investigators he did so because he didn’t trust law enforcement, and he trusted Hughes to safekeep it. Hughes told police he tried to find a video on the camera system but couldn’t because he didn’t know how to work it. Instead of letting investigators know about the camera, Hughes gave it back to Sandoval.

"We want to know what happened with this dash-cam," Spring said.

About a month after the crash, Springs’ attorney asked Sandoval’s attorney about the dash camera. She responded in an email and said, "To relieve your current anxiety, I can tell you that the defendants in the pending lawsuit have not located any dash cam or dash cam video and will respond accordingly to any discovery."

After reviewing footage again, a forensic technician was sent to pick up the dash cam from Sandoval’s home. Records revealed it was physically damaged and may have even been deleted or wiped.

Antonio Sandoval and Marlin Kendall Hughes

Both Sandoval and Hughes deny they did anything to the footage. Earlier this month, they were both arrested by Texas Rangers for tampering with evidence.

"Elated, elated, elated. Just kind of that that weight off your shoulders is lifted a little bit and that something that we've been fighting for so long is finally being looked at," Spring said.

Spring said this is a small step, and she will continue to fight for justice for her son.

"Graylan was the baby, the bookend. He brought all the excitement, joy, and just made us all laugh every day, every time we were all together. We just miss his vivacious smile. Graylan was very well-loved. He was loved by his friends in the community, his friends at Vandegrift, his friends at Stephen F. He is very well remembered," Spring said.

The other side:

In a statement, Hughes' attorney said 

"Mr. Hughes is a highly respected businessman and valued member of the Polk County community. He has no prior criminal history and did not commit a crime in this case. We look forward to presenting our case in court.

Sandoval’s attorney and the District Attorney of Polk County did not return FOX 7’s request for comment.