Fleeing suspect causes fatal crash near Fort Worth Stockyards
FORT WORTH, Texas - An innocent bystander was killed and rescuers had to free another person after a police chase crash near the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Fort Worth police said it happened around 11 a.m. after officers pulled over a possible burglary suspect in a stolen white truck. The driver initially got out of the truck but then got back in and took off.
Officers followed the truck until it sped through the intersection of Main Street and Exchange Avenue. It ended up colliding with several other vehicles. The high-speed crash was so violent that it sent witnesses running for cover.
A total of seven vehicles were involved in the wreck. Images from SKY 4 showed at least three with significant damage.
“The truck hit all those cars that were just innocently waiting,” said witness Barb Leffingwell.
Officials confirmed one woman who was not involved in the chase was killed in the crash. At least one other person was trapped in the wreckage.
Five adults were taken to the hospital, including the suspect and two women who were in the truck with him. One of the victims has serious injuries, police said.
Leffingwell says she saw that truck speeding south on Main Street but never heard brakes screeching.
“The sound, the impact, the flying metal — not enough in your brain to say get out of there quick,” she recalled.
Police are still investigating the events that led up to the crash. They are calling it “a bad day for Fort Worth police.”
“This was an innocent bystander not involved in this incident,” said Fort Worth Police Sgt. Chris Britt. “As a police department, it’s the worst situation we could have right now.”
Family members identified the victim as Guadencia Meza. They described her as a wife, mother and loving grandmother. Her long-time neighbor was devastated by the circumstances that led up to her violent death.
The driver that initially was being chased has since been identified as 26-year-old Luis Young. He's charged with evading arrest causing death and theft of property. More charges are pending.