SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: Some of the original quotations were said in Spanish and have been translated for clarity.
A fatal crash on the city’s South Side is not surprising to community members in the area who are fearful that the next big accident is just around the corner.
The crash sent two men to area hospitals and killed another man, 23-year-old Gavin Mendoza, who was a passenger in a vehicle racing down Commercial Avenue near Sunglo on Monday evening.
Gloria Tovar, who says she saw the wreck outside of a Southside piñata and novelty shop where she works, said that she was not surprised by the crash.
“This accident was horrible. It was ugly quite frankly,” Tovar said.
Tovar said she was still at a loss for words after seeing the wreck and the aftermath around the area.
“There was a black truck going really fast and when it crashed, it crashed into the other truck very hard,” Tovar said. “(The driver) died about 15 minutes later in the ambulance.
Police confirmed that the truck Mendoza was in was speeding and lost control when it hit a patch of water on the road.
Preventing tragedies involving unsafe driving is why police throughout South Texas have been trying to crack down on illegal street racing events like the one captured on cell phone video in New Braunfels on Sunday.
Street racers from San Antonio keep New Braunfels police busy over the weekend
Tovar said her main concern is speed.
”I’m scared for my property because the fast drivers always come on this side and there have been wrecks,” Tovar said.
On Tuesday afternoon, debris and police tape were still seen in the street.
Community members in the area say that they want changes, perhaps more patrols and even speed bumps.