Two men died after a car crashed evading troopers trying to pull them over for street racing Saturday night in Tom Green County, according to allegations in a Texas Department of Public Safety media release Saturday.
Matthew Allen Reyes, 20, of Big Spring and Jesus Manuel Silva II, 18, of San Angelo were ejected from the vehicle and died as a result of their injuries south of San Angelo, the DPS said in a media release. They were passengers in the car during the one-vehicle crash.
The preliminary DPS investigation indicates that at about 9:55 p.m. Saturday, troopers began a traffic stop on a white 2023 Dodge Challenger they saw racing another vehicle southbound on U.S. Highway 87 South, the DPS said.
The car turned off its lights and began evading troopers while continuing southbound on the highway, the DPS said.
A fatal crash was reported.
“Radar confirmed the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed,” the DPS said.
The speed limit was 75 mph, the DPS said.
The Dodge’s driver, Jeydan Zane Sanchez-Ayala, 19, of Carlsbad lost control of the vehicle. The Dodge struck a guardrail, went airborne and rolled into the center median near Wilde Road south of San Angelo.
Both passengers were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by San Angelo firefighters and EMS, the DPS said. The driver sustained serious injuries and was transported to Shannon Hospital for treatment.
The driver was wearing a seatbelt, but it was unknown if the two passengers were, the DPS said.
The crash was investigated by a San Angelo trooper, assisted by the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the Wall Volunteer Fire Department and San Angelo firefighters and EMS.
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Trish Choate is the executive editor for the Abilene Reporter-News, San Angelo Standard-Times and Wichita Falls Times Record News. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: DPS: Two men die in deadly crash after racing in Tom Green County