TX) Wrong Way Driver Kills 7, maybe more

[Mke]

Seven Killed in Head-On Crash Near Houston
By PAM EASTON

HOUSTON (AP) - A driver going the wrong way down a freeway crashed head-on
into a sport utility vehicle, killing seven people, including three
children.

Five of the SUV's 10 passengers in the Tuesday night crash were children,
and none was restrained, said Harris County sheriff's Lt. John Denholm.

``We may end up having as many as ... eight die in this thing because we've
got so many kids involved,'' Denholm said.

Police said the driver of the car was among those killed northwest of
Houston.

The SUV's driver, a female passenger and two children remained hospitalized
Wednesday, said Deputy Rodolfo Zepeda.

A police officer had noticed the car's driver, Reginald Dwayne Mayes, 24,
going the wrong way on the freeway and was headed after him when the crash
occurred. Both the car and SUV were crushed.

``You have one doing 70 and another doing 60, which is like running into a
brick wall,'' Denholm said.

Also dead were Karla Lizet Zavala, 23; Zavala's 17-month-old daughter,
Geronima Lizet Benitez; Yesenia Rodriguez, 23; Rodriguez's children Sarah
Diaz, 6, and Luis Geraldo Diaz, 5; and Alicia Ramirez, 23.

The SUV's driver, Maurico Benitez, ``is in super critical condition,''
Zepeda said. ``His life expectancy is not very good. He has lots of trauma
to his body.''

A 4-year-old boy, Luis Romero, was in critical condition Wednesday. Miguel
Diaz, 3, was in fair condition, Zepeda said. The remaining passenger, Fanny
Villada, 23, was in serious condition.

A spokeswoman at Memorial Hermann hospital did not release names or ages,
but confirmed two victims of the crash were in critical condition, one was
in serious condition and one was in fair condition.

Denholm said Mayes had a clean driving record, but Maurico Benitez had a
suspended license for failing to carry liability insurance.

[stargazer]

"Mke" <fn...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bj6hjq$bul$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...

Man I hate hearing about these. How horrible. This one reminds me of that
old Court TV case, I believe it was in Arizona or New Mexico?? Anybody
remember that one? A Native American man was drinking and driving the wrong
way on the freeway and crashed into a car on Christmas Eve, killing the
mother and three little daughters. The husband, stepfather to the girls,
was the only survivor out of their car. I think there were a couple trials
on this case that Court TV covered, but I can't recall the name of the
defendant. I wonder what happened to him, last I heard he had an appeal.

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