The driver of a tow truck involved in a multivehicle crash that lead to the death of a 25-year-old man turned himself in Monday, according to Dallas County authorities.
Juan Francisco Garcia, 25, turned himself in Monday to the county jail after his red tow truck was recovered, Dallas County sheriff spokesman Douglas Sisk said.
Garcia faces one felony charge each of an accident involving serious bodily injury and tampering with evidence, authorities said. He was released from jail Tuesday afternoon on $22,500 bail, according to Sisk. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
Dallas County sheriff deputies responded to the crash about 2:20 a.m. Aug. 13. A red tow truck hit a minivan on Interstate 30 near 2nd Avenue and did not stop, authorities said. The minivan spun into oncoming traffic.
Donald Collins, 25, got out of his car to help the passengers of the minivan. As he was doing so, an SUV struck him and the van.
Collins died at the hospital. An unidentified passenger in the van was taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.
The driver of the SUV, a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, was arrested. Irma Nelly Martinez, 33, faces charges including intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault with a vehicle. She remains in the Dallas County jail, and her bail is set at $135,000.
It was not clear whether she has an attorney. Jail records show she has an immigration hold.
Collins had been in the Marines and leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter, according to relatives. A GoFundMe for his family has raised more than $65,000 as of Tuesday.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
