18-year-old racing with sister in car dies after crash in front yard, Texas cops say

An 18-year-old man died in a street racing crash while driving with his older sister, Texas authorities say.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the driver in the Nov. 24 crash on North Silver Green Drive was attempting to race another driver when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a curb. It caused his vehicle to overturn in the front yard of a home.

“About 2 in the morning I wake up abruptly and I just hear a young woman screaming for help,” Estephany Martinez told KHOU. “There was a missing wheel, everything was just demolished and in pieces, and when they took the young boy out he was unconscious.”

Gonzalez said the driver, 18-year-old Juan Carlos Montanez, of Channelview, died after being taken to a hospital.

A front-seat passenger, Montanez’ 20-year-old sister, was not injured, the sheriff said.

“There was car parts everywhere around my yard. The car was flipped to the side,” Martinez told KRIV.

The other driver, who Gonzalez said was operating a dark-colored Dodge Challenger, fled the area. The Challenger was not involved in the crash.

Residents in the area were encouraged to review their surveillance cameras to help authorities locate the driver.