Houston police charge Wilian Lopez Fonseca with intoxication manslaughter after a high-speed crash kills a woman.
HOUSTON — A man has been charged with intoxication manslaughter following a violent crash that killed one woman and sent another passenger to the hospital early Tuesday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.
The crash happened around 2:45 a.m. on Westpark Drive near South Gessner.
Driver charged in deadly crash
Wilian Lopez Fonseca, 30, is charged with intoxication manslaughter. Investigators said Fonseca was driving a white Chevrolet Impala at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the car, failed to maintain a single lane, and slammed into the back of a Ford F-450 tow truck, which was also heading westbound.
Fonseca and his front-seat passenger were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police said. A female backseat passenger was taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. Her identity is pending confirmation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The driver and passenger of the tow truck were not injured.
HPD: Racing and intoxication under investigation
Police believe the Impala may have been racing another vehicle — a pink Infiniti Q50 — which was later found abandoned near the crash scene. Investigators said Fonseca was impaired at the time of the crash. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has since filed charges.
Witness: Speed was ‘at least 120 to 140 mph’
Tow truck driver Nelson Vargas, who witnessed the crash firsthand, described the terrifying moment when the vehicle slammed into him and his coworker while they were sitting at the light.
“We were just talking, waiting for the green light, and I saw the car coming — flying,” Vargas said. “They hit us so hard it pushed us through the intersection.”
Vargas estimated the car was going at least 120 to 140 miles per hour based on the force of the impact. He said the vehicle nearly caught fire, and bystanders had to help extinguish the flames after their fire extinguisher failed.
Tow truck totaled, but survivors thankful
The tow truck was totaled, Vargas said, but both he and his coworker are grateful to be alive.
“By the grace of God, we’re still here,” Vargas said. “But unfortunately, somebody else didn’t make it.”
He urged others to think twice before racing or speeding late at night.
“Just think about life — life is more than just a race,” he said.