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One of the monks has ‘substantial leg injuries’ and was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Houston
Juan A. LozanoFriday 21 November 2025 09:57 GMT
open image in galleryBuddhist monk Panna Kara with dog named Aloka, along with other monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, who are undertaking a 2,300 mile pilgrimage of ‘Walk for Peace,’ rest after arriving to a welcome ceremony at Hong Kong City Mall in Houston, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP) (Houston Chronicle)
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A group of Buddhist monks, currently midway through a 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometre) peace walk across the United States, are preparing to resume their journey. This follows a crash near Houston that left two of their members injured, a spokesperson for the group confirmed on Thursday.
The 'Walk for Peace' group, consisting of about two dozen monks, began their 26 October journey from Fort Worth, Texas. Their mission is to 'raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world', with plans to traverse 10 states en route to Washington, D.C.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the group, confirmed the monks have so far visited various Texan cities, including Austin and Houston. They typically walk along roads and highways, often escorted by law enforcement or a trailing vehicle. Their journey is also shared with their dog, Aloka.
At around 6:13 p.m. Wednesday, the monks were walking along the side of U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Houston, when their escort vehicle, which had its hazard lights on, was hit by a truck, said Dayton Interim Police Chief Shane Burleigh.
open image in galleryPeople watch as the Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, who are undertaking a 2,300 mile pilgrimage of "Walk for Peace," arrive for a welcome ceremony at Hong Kong City Mall in Houston, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP) (Houston Chronicle)The truck “didn’t notice how slow the vehicle was going, tried to make an evasive maneuver to drive around the vehicle, and didn’t do it in time,” Burleigh said. “It struck the escort vehicle in the rear left, pushed the escort into two of the monks.”
One of the monks has “substantial leg injuries” and was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Houston, Burleigh said. The other monk with less serious injuries was taken by ambulance to another hospital in suburban Houston.
In a video posted on Walk for Peace’s Facebook page, an unidentified spokeswoman for the group said the most seriously injured monk was expected to have a series of surgeries to heal a broken bone, but his prognosis for recovery was good. The group said the monk’s surgery on Thursday went well.
“He’s in good spirits. He’s giving us thumbs-up,” the spokeswoman said. The condition of the other monk was not immediately known.
open image in galleryBuddhist monk Panna Kara pets Aloka as he and other monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, who are undertaking a 2,300 mile pilgrimage of "Walk for Peace," attend a welcome ceremony at Hong Kong City Mall in Houston, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP) (Houston Chronicle)The monks, who camped overnight near Dayton, planned to resume their walk “with steadfast determination,” Walk for Peace said.
“We kindly ask everyone to continue keeping the monks in your thoughts and prayers as healing begins and the journey toward peace continues,” the group said in a post on Facebook.
open image in galleryThe Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, who are undertaking a 2,300 mile pilgrimage of "Walk for Peace," arrive for a welcome ceremony at Hong Kong City Mall in Houston, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP) (Houston Chronicle)After the accident, the monks do not plan to change how they conduct their walk, which takes place along highways but also through open fields, Dong said. Walk for Peace plans to continue working with local law enforcement in the areas they travel through to ensure the safety of the monks, he said.
“Right now, everything is still as planned,” Dong said.
The driver of the truck that hit the monk’s escort vehicle is cooperating with the investigation, which is still ongoing, Burleigh said.
“Right now, we’re looking at this as driver inattention,” said Burleigh, who added that police will determine at the end of the investigation if any charges will be filed.
