4 Littlefield Texas family members killed after suspected street race ended in fiery crash
Four family members were killed in a Texas crash last weekend, as two other men are accused of causing the crash by street racing.
The incident occurred around 8:15 p.m. Saturday, on a road in Grand Prairie. Local detectives believe the driver of a red Dodge Charger, identified as 20-year-old Jaime Mesa, “was traveling at a high rate of speed” when racing with another individual in a white Dodge Charger, according to a press release from the Grand Prairie Police Department.
While traveling down a Belt Line Road and turning left onto Kingston Drive, a Chevy Traverse SUV collided with the red Dodge Charger. The impact pushed the SUV into a gas station parking lot, where it landed on its side and caught fire.
Three people inside the SUV died at the scene, while two others were transported to the hospital, where a fourth victim passed away. The fifth victim was in critical condition, according to police and an online fundraiser for the family.
Mesa was also taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. He has since been placed in police custody and charged with four counts of racing on a highway causing death, four counts of manslaughter, one count of racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Anthony Morales, the 22-year-old driver of the white Dodge Charger Daytona who fled the area after the crash, was also arrested and charged with one count of racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury and four counts of racing on a highway causing death, per the press release.
Good Samaritans stop to rescue victims from fiery crash
Following the devastating accident, witnesses stopped to assist Mesa, who was trapped in the red Dodge Charger. One such good Samaritan told Fox4 about working with others to pull Mesa out of the Dodge Charger. Miguel Coronado described how the steering wheel had been pressed into Mesa’s chest, making breathing difficult.
Police arrived shortly after Mesa was pulled from the vehicle. Paramedics and firefighters came to the scene a minute or two later.
“I wished I could’ve helped, you know, the other car,” Coronado told Fox4, referring to the SUV with the family.
“It’s very sad,” Coronado said, becoming visibly upset. He said the tragedy made him think of his seven-month-old daughter. “Life changed in a snap.”
Other witnesses spoke to NBC DFW, recalling the traumatic scene. Yvette Acosta said she heard screams from one of the vehicles.
“I haven’t been able to sleep well because of it,” she said. “I can hear that, and just seeing them and not being able to help them, it’s very devastating.”
Ashik Maharzan was working at the gas station where the SUV landed after the crash. He said it was “the craziest day” of his life.
“I heard a big bang noise from there coming up, and I took a peek at it and I saw two people flying out of the window,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep for two or three hours, I couldn’t sleep. That fire was in my mind for a couple of hours.”
Four of five family members die in suspected street racing accident
The victims were identified as members of the Rosales family − the father Jessie, the mother Lorena, and siblings Stephanie, 13, and Angel, 6, according to local outlet WFAA, which spoke with a family member.
The fifth victim who survived the crash was 17-year-old Anthony Rosales, who was in critical condition.
A GoFundMe for the victims has raised over $68,000 since Friday morning. The online fundraiser is seeking money for the remaining family member, Anthony, as well as funeral services.
“This sweet sibling group has a long hard road ahead of them physically, emotionally, and financially,” the fundraiser continued.
Police are investigating the crash. Grand Prairie is about 13 miles from Dallas.
