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Charges have been upgraded against a suspected drunk driver after one of the victims was declared brain dead, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
The sheriff wrote in a tweet that 23-year-old Mayra Ospina was declared brain dead at the hospital.
Zachary Castro, 26, is now charged with intoxication manslaughter after deputies say his pickup truck slammed into people trying to help a disabled driver early Monday morning in northwest Harris County.
Ed Gonzalez✔@SheriffEd_HCSO
Update: sad to report that Mayra Ospina (23 yrs), one of the victims in in this DWI-related crash, has been declared brain-dead at the hospital. Intoxication Manslaughter charges are being filed against Zachary Castro (26 yrs). https://twitter.com/sheriffed_hcso/status/1221709570688634880 …
Ed Gonzalez✔@SheriffEd_HCSO
@HCSOTexas units are at the scene of a major crash near Barker Cypress & Kieth Harrow. Preliminary info: a couple motorist stopped to assist a disabled car in a ditch. The at-fault motorist approached, striking the cars & individuals out of their cars. Abt 5 cars involved, the
26-year-old Zachary Castro is charged with intoxication manslaughter.
The crash happened along the 5100 block of Barker Cypress around 12:40 a.m. Authorities say three different vehicles had stopped to help a grey Nissan Altima that had been in a wreck, but the driver of that car was nowhere to be found.
During that time, authorities say the driver of a blue Toyota pick up slammed into the good Samaritans and the stopped cars.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted that Castro was under the influence of alcohol.
Ed Gonzalez✔@SheriffEd_HCSO
Update: Zachary Castro (26) was found to be under the influence of alcohol and has been charged with 3 counts of Intoxication Assault. Castro struck 3 cars/4 pedestrians that stopped to assist a disabled car. Two sustained serious injuries and a third has broken bones. #HouNews https://twitter.com/sheriffed_hcso/status/1221709570688634880 …
Ed Gonzalez✔@SheriffEd_HCSO
@HCSOTexas units are at the scene of a major crash near Barker Cypress & Kieth Harrow. Preliminary info: a couple motorist stopped to assist a disabled car in a ditch. The at-fault motorist approached, striking the cars & individuals out of their cars. Abt 5 cars involved, the
Cameron Neff was one of the victims in the incident who was not injured. He told ABC13 all they wanted was to help.
“We were good people wanting to help,” Neff said. “My advice to anybody in a similar situation is, nothing good ever happens after midnight.”
Neff says all he heard was a scream and a boom, and the next thing he saw was the car coming toward him and his van.
“He just tried to pass the vehicles stopped on the roadway. The vehicles were stopped with hazard lights on, there is no reason why they should not have been seen,” Sgt. Dashana Cheek-McNeal with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies say Castro admitted to them he had been drinking earlier in the evening.
Jeff Ehling✔@JeffEhlingABC13
Major accident on Barker Cypress near Keith Harrow. Several drivers stopped to help after seeing a car in a ditch. Those drivers were then hit by a passing car.#abc13eyewitness
