Medical Examiner identifies 23-year-old man killed in suspected racing-related crash on South Side

SAN ANTONIO – A 23-year-old man who died in a crash on the South Side Monday evening that police said was racing-related has been identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Authorities said John Gavin Mendoza died at the scene of the wreck in the 2400 block of Commerical Avenue, just south of Southwest Military Drive.

Police said Mendoza was a passenger in an older-model GMC pickup truck that was traveling at a high rate of speed on the northbound lanes of Commercial.

The 18-year-old driver of the truck hit a patch of water on the road, lost control and skidded into oncoming traffic, according to SAPD.

A GMC Sierra that was traveling southbound on Commercial T-boned the vehicle on the passenger’s side where Mendoza was sitting.

Video surveillance showed the older-model GMC truck apparently racing with a red sedan before the crash.

The drivers of the two trucks were taken to separate hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

SAPD said the crash is an active investigation.

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