OAK CLIFF, TX (05/13/2015) — Three people were killed on Wednesday morning after the driver of an SUV crashed into an apartment home in the 1800 block of West 10th Street in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas.
According to Dallas police, three people—one man and two women—were killed on Wednesday morning around 11:00 a.m. after their SUV crashed into an multi-family apartment home in north Oak Cliff, Texas. Officials have released the names of the victims:
- 56-year-old Lucinda Rosas De Esparza
- 93-year-old Paul Maltos; and
- 66-year-old Evelina Maltos
Authorities say that the driver of a blue Dodge Durango was speeding northbound on South Waverly Drive and ran several stop signs before he struck a car parked in front of a two-story apartment building in the 1800 block of West 10th Street. The force of the collision caused both vehicles to crash into the home.
“It sounded like an airplane going down our street and then an explosion,” said Andrea Ramirez, a nearby resident.
A man who lives just a couple of blocks from the crash scene reportedly told NBC 5 that his mother, Lucinda Esparza, was one of the victims of the accident and that his brother owned the SUV involved in the crash. Another women said that 93-year-old Paul Maltos was in the back of the SUV, and that Maltos’ wife was in the front passenger seat.
Dallas Fire-Rescue stated that removing the vehicles, while ensuring the structure of the home was stable, was extremely difficult.
“Our main concern is stabilizing the vehicles and stabilizing the upper part of the structure,” Jason Evans, a Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman, said.
Firefighters used a ladder truck to survey the damage and supported the structure with jacks; a fuel spill also complicated the vehicles’ removal.
The accident claimed the lives of all three adults in the SUV. Additionally, a resident of the apartment was home at the time of the incident, but he was not injured in the crash.
Dallas police are currently investigating the cause of the crash, however, it appears speed was a factor.
