Racing ruled out as cause for Dallas teens’ death and injuries

An after-school car accident in South Dallas seriously injured two students and took the life of the twin of one of the injured teenagers. Dallas police initially suspected the fatal car accident was caused by students who were racing, but later dropped the idea after interviewing witnesses.

The one-car crash happened on a Thursday around 4:15 p.m. A Honda with three occupants was traveling along South Lancaster Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Police now think the driver hit a wet section of roadway before crashing into a utility pole in the 6100 block.

The Honda driver and a 16-year-old front-seat passenger survived the accident. The female teenager sitting in the rear seat, the 16-year-old sister of one of the other occupants, died at the scene of the crash.

The unidentified driver sustained critical injuries and was transported to Baylor Medical Center. The remaining survivor is listed in stable condition.

The confusion over whether the teens had been racing along South Lancaster Road was compounded by the presence of a second vehicle. Police believed the driver of a truck drove away from the accident, but later learned the driver was a witness who contacted 911 and stayed at the scene until emergency crews arrived.

At first, the truck driver was suspected of being involved in the crash, but later accounts say the witness simply left the scene to make way for rescue units trying to access the wreckage.

Officials of the Dallas Independent School District announced that all three students in the accident were related. Two accident victims, including the teenage girl who died in the crash, were twins who attended Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy. The third victim was a cousin of the twins. Reports have not made clear whether the Honda driver was the twin or the cousin.

Source: nbcdfw.com, “Teen’s Fatal Crash Not Due To Racing: Police,” Amanda Guerra, Jan. 27, 2012