FOX 4 Photo, Rear-ended GMC
Early this morning at 12:30 in Oak Cliff a driver suspected to have been under the heavy influence of alcohol drove his Hyundai Sante Fe SUV into the back of a GMC Terrain carrying five passengers, two of whom were killed. The details of the accident have been reported differently by different sources. The accident occurred at the intersection of West Davis Street and North Gilpin Avenue.
All agree the driver was speeding and rear-ended the GMC sending it out into a spin. Where reports differ is how the accident started. One report says the GMC was rear-ended as it was stopped at a red light. FOX News reported the GMC had just turned onto Davis Street when the Hyundai ran a red light. WFAA reported that the GMC was hit while trying to make a U-turn.
There were 5 passengers in the GMC including: a pregnant woman, a toddler, another woman, and two men. Jeanette Wilkins age 57 and John Wilkins age 55 were killed in the accident. Good Samaritans ran towards the car and tried to free the victims of the accident, afraid that the SUV would catch fire. The pregnant woman was reported by witnesses, but not confirmed by authorities yet, to have had her leg severed in the crash. One 32-year-old man was taken to the hospital with a fractured spine and ribs. The names of the injured have not been released and there has been no word on the condition of the child who may have been in the car.
FOX 4 Photo, Smashed Hyundai
The driver of the Hyundai admitted to having two beers earlier and was described by the police report as having a “strong odor of alcohol.” He sustained a minor wrist injury, and was treated at Baylor. His name has not been released but the Dallas Crimeblog reported that he was arrested with intoxication assault this morning. It’s unclear why the arrest would be for intoxication assault and not intoxication manslaughter considering that two were killed in the accident. More information may be released by the police later in the week.
