LAREDO, TX (05/27/2016) — A three-vehicle crash on Friday morning claimed the life of Raul Castillo and left Krystal Lee and Raquel Ibarra injured.
According to the Laredo Police Department (LPD), 28-year-old Raul Castillo Jr. was killed, and both 23-year-old Krystal Lee and 34-year-old Raquel Carreon Ibarra were seriously injured, after a three-vehicle accident that took place at the intersection of San Francisco Avenue and W. Saunders Street (AKA Lafayette Street/ US-59) in Laredo, Texas.
The LPD reported that at around 2:00 a.m., Ibarra was traveling westbound along Saunders Street in a Nissan Sentra when she veered into eastbound traffic and struck a Mitsubishi Galant head-on, driven by 27-year-old Juan Ricardo Garza. A third vehicle was also reportedly damaged in the accident.
Castillo, who was the front passenger of the Galant, was taken to the Laredo Medical Center, where he later died.
Both Ibarra and Lee (Ibarra’s passenger) sustained serious injures and were transported to a nearby area hospital for treatment.
Garza and 30-year-old Juan Enrique Rodriguez—the rear passenger of the Galant—were not injured. The occupants of the third vehicle involved in the wreckage, a Chevrolet Cruze, were reportedly uninjured as well.
An investigation is ongoing.
Commentary
We are unsure at this time what caused the driver to travel into oncoming lanes of traffic, however, police are still investigating. Regardless of weather or distractions, it is every driver’s duty to drive to conditions, and to act with reasonable care. Depending upon the results of the investigation, the driver who caused this accident could face criminal charges of negligence and vehicular manslaughter (in addition to any civil claims brought by the victims).
We offer our condolences to those affected by this tragic accident.
