Teen in stolen pickup crashes into, kills driver during Grand Prairie police pursuit
An 18-year-old in a stolen pickup truck led Grand Prairie officers in a pursuit early Friday morning that ended in Dallas, where he crashed into a car and killed the driver inside, police said.
The identity of the victim wasn’t immediately released.
Ramiro Sotelo, 18, of Balch Springs, and a juvenile passenger were arrested, Grand Prairie police said in a news release. Charges of murder, accident involving death, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest are pending against Sotelo, police said. The department didn’t mention any charges for the passenger.
Officers tried to stop the stolen pickup truck around 2 a.m. in the area of Pioneer Parkway and Belt Line Road in Grand Prairie, police said. Sotelo led them in a pursuit and eventually ran a red light at North Peak Street and Ross Avenue in Dallas, striking a four-door sedan.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His identity will be released by the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office pending the notification of next of kin.
Grand Prairie police are leading the criminal investigation, the department said. Dallas police are leading the probe into the crash.
“It’s a tragedy that the suspect driver took an innocent life,” the Grand Prairie Police Department said in an email. “No officer ever wants this outcome. The Grand Prairie PD will pursue all appropriate charges to hold this suspect accountable. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 9:01 AM.
