Parents, 2 kids die in collision with racing car in Grand Prairie, police and family say
A car that was racing collided on Saturday in Grand Prairie with an uninvolved sport utility vehicle, killing two children and their parents and hospitalizing a third child, according to police and relatives.
A Chevrolet Traverse was northbound on South Belt Line Road and turning onto Kingston Drive when it collided about 8:15 p.m. with the racing Dodge Charger, according to the Grand Prairie Police Department.
Three people in the Traverse were pronounced dead at the collision scene. Another died at a hospital. The fifth Traverse passenger remained on Sunday in critical condition, police said.
Police told KDFW-TV that five members of a family were in the SUV. Two adults and two children died, and a third child was hospitalized, KDFW reported.
A GoFundMe account identifies the victims who died as a mother and father, Lorena and Jessie Rosales, their 13-year-old daughter Stephanie, and their 6-year-old son Angel. Another son, Anthony Rosales, “was thrown out of the car but the rest of the family was killed when the car exploded,” according to his family’s account in the GoFundMe description.
“Anthony is currently in critical condition,” the GoFundMe page reads. “His brother Jessie and sister Natalie have stepped up to get him through this physical battle in addition to all the other battles they will face. This sweet sibling group has a long hard road ahead of them physically, emotionally and financially.”
Money raised will go toward funeral expenses and medical bills. As of Monday afternoon, the account had raised about $3,000 toward a $25,000 goal.
The driver of the red Dodge Charger that hit the family’s SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed and racing another vehicle, a white Dodge Charger Daytona, that left the scene after the crash, police said, attributing the account to witnesses.
Jaime Mesa, the driver of the red Dodge Charger, was taken to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, police said.
Mesa, who is in police custody at the hospital, is 20 and lives in Irving. Police arrested Mesa on suspicion of 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.
Detectives late Sunday found and arrested the driver of the white Charger Daytona. Anthony Morales, 22, was arrested at his residence. Police arrested Morales on suspicion of four counts of racing on a highway causing death and one count of racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury.
This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 8:23 AM.
