‘Happiest I've ever seen Daniel': Mother says son just married before fatal crash

Improvements to Loop 820 considered in the wake of recent deadly crashes

We're learning more about the family who was killed after driving the wrong way on Loop I-820 nearly two weeks ago.

Myrtle Newsom said her son, Daniel, was in that car, along with his new wife, Johanna, and her two sons.

“He always wanted a family and fortunately he finally got one and was happy," she said. "This last seven or eight months was probably the happiest I've ever seen Daniel."

Newsome said her son had just gotten married last year, and the family had recently moved into a new Fort Worth home, which he was proud of.

"Oh my goodness, he loved the holidays. His new house is decorated for Halloween," she said. "He would send me pictures of stuff he's doing to his house and decorations, and he was happy in Fort Worth."

A neighbor told NBC 5 the family had moved in about six months ago, and was excited about celebrating Halloween together.

“They used to be out here every day when I would get home from work. The momma, and the daddy and the two kids, and they would be out here doing their decorations,” said neighbor Perry Scott.

According to Fort Worth Police, the Newsomes were heading in the wrong direction westbound Loop 820 just before the Azle Avenue Exit in Northwest Fort Worth on Sunday, Oct. 27.

They said just after 3:30 a.m., the family's Ford Focus, heading eastbound, crashed head-on into a pickup truck and burst into flames, trapping the family inside.

A woman, Chelsea Cook, in the pickup was also killed in the crash.

Her fiancé survived with broken bones.

"I feel so sorry for his family, all the families involved, and I just wish it didn't happen," Newsome said.

She thinks the family may have been heading back from a trip to Austin at the time of the crash.

"I just don't know why. Somebody could be so happy one minute and then gone the next," she said.

On Thursday, Fort Worth Police said they were still investigating and there were no updates on why the Newsomes may have been driving the wrong way early that morning.

But in a presentation on Thursday, TxDOT outlined improvements prompted by safety concerns, among other things, through the I-820 Northwest Loop Corridor project.

The agency said the loop is a dangerous stretch of road, with "a higher historical crash rate compared to the statewide average on urban interstates."

The project spans 19.4 miles in length and will be segmented into North, Mid, and South components.

The area of the crash is located in the mid-section of the project, near Azle, and is a hotspot for crashes, according to data presented on Thursday.

TxDOT is looking for public feedback on alternative designs that include new lanes and express lanes.

The agency said the project will receive federal money but isn't fully funded, yet, and the earliest construction could begin would be 2030.

You can find more information on how to leave a comment on the project here.

For Myrtle Newsome, the grieving mother said she sees her son everywhere and can't stop thinking about him.

The only solace she can find, she said, is that he's with the family he'd always dreamt of.

"I just wish, wherever they're at in heaven, they're at peace. They're together," Newsome said.