By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Criminal cases will be pursued against one of the drivers involved in a three-vehicle wreck at U.S. Highway 90 and State Loop 79 Nov. 28, police said.
Nine persons were transferred to hospitals following the crash. Eight were taken to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, and the ninth was flown by helicopter to the San Antonio Military Medical Center, according to a report on the accident released by the Del Rio Police Department Thursday.
The report, written by DRPD Officer Marcus D. Schwandner, who investigated the crash, indicates charges against the driver of a white 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, identified as Michael Anthony Martinez, 21, a resident of Del Rio, will be pursued, including endangerment of child/imminent danger, a state jail felony; and reckless driving, a Class B misdemeanor.
There were five persons in the Tahoe in addition to Martinez: a 28-year-old woman, a 22-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman, a two-year-old boy and a one-year-old boy.
Schwandner reported his investigation showed the Tahoe, driven by Martinez, was traveling east in the 5600 block of U.S. 90 when it approached the intersection of U.S. 90 and State Loop 79.
A second vehicle, described as a silver 2019 Chevrolet Camaro, driven by Andre D. Cornish Jr., 27, a resident of Killeen, Texas, was stopped at the red light at the intersection of U.S. 90 and State Loop 79 on the northbound exit ramp. There were three passengers in the Camaro, a 23-year-old man, a 23-year-old woman and a 27-year-old woman.
A third vehicle, described as a red 2001 Pontiac Sunfire, driven by David Davis Jr., 32, a resident of Del Rio, was traveling west in the 5700 block of U.S. 90, approaching the intersection of U.S. 90 and State Loop 79 and was stopping for the red light. Davis was the sole occupant of his vehicle.
“The light at the intersection changed to red for eastbound traffic, but Unit 1 (the Tahoe) disregarded the stop light. Unit 1 accelerated into the intersection as Unit 2 (the Camaro) entered the intersection,” Schwandner wrote.
The Tahoe then slammed into the driver’s side of the Camaro, and the Tahoe “flipped onto its side and traveled into the westbound lane (of U.S. 90),” the report reads.
“Unit 3 (the Sunfire) had come to a stop at the intersection, and (the Tahoe) collided with (the Sunfire) head-on,” Schwandner wrote.
The impact of the collision with the Tahoe sent the Camaro traveling about 100 feet east of the intersection.
Schwandner said he interviewed the 22-year-old man who had been a passenger in the Tahoe, who told him that “he had seen the intersection light turn red, and the driver of Unit 1 (Martinez) accelerated into the intersection, disregarding the red light,” Schwander reported.
Martinez and his five passengers, including the two children, were transported by ambulance to the emergency room at Val Verde Regional Medical Center. The three passengers in the Camaro were also taken to the local hospital.
Cornish, the driver of the Camaro, was flown to the military medical hospital in San Antonio. According to the accident report, Cornish and two of his passengers suffered “incapacitating injuries,” while the third passenger suffered “non-incapacitating injuries.”
Martinez, the driver of the Tahoe, was noted as “not injured” in the collision, while three of his passengers suffered “incapacitating injuries,” and two suffered “non-incapacitating injuries.”
Davis, the driver of the Sunfire, was reportedly not injured in the crash.
Additionally, the accident report states that Martinez did not own the Tahoe he was driving, and that the owner, identified as Gorje Alberto Sanchez of Arlington, Texas, did not have insurance on the vehicle. A spokesman for the police department said Martinez also does not have a Texas driver’s license.
The accident report notes the sole “contributing factors” in the accident was Martinez’s disregarding the stoplight.
The police spokesman said Monday the felony case being prepared against Martinez will go to the district attorney’s office, and the misdemeanor case will be forwarded to the county attorney’s office.
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