Four Children And Two Adults Killed, Several Injured In Texas Stolen Truck Crash

[Purveyor]

(Reuters) - Four children and two adults were killed in South Texas on Monday when a stolen truck pursued by the state highway patrol sped through an intersection, causing a multi-vehicle crash, authorities said on Tuesday.

Two girls and two boys along with two adults were killed when their Chevrolet Suburban was struck by a stolen truck driven by Hector Ramirez, 18, during a high-speed chase, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The department said those killed in the crash were Jose Luis Ortiz, 55; Olga Lidia Morales-Cardoza, 35; Elias, 1; Fernanda, 3; Ricardo, 5; and Jose, 6, all from Penitas. The children in the Suburban shared the last name of Ortiz.

Jesus Ortiz, 3, was also injured in the Suburban, the department said in a statement.

Ramirez attempted to flee the scene, but was captured and remains in a local hospital, it added. The Texas Department of Public Safety said it expects to file charges against Ramirez once he is released from the hospital.

MORE...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/13/us-usa-texas-crash-idUSBRE97C10S20130813

Thank gawd they got this truck thief off the streets. All texans will sleep better tonight knowing the 'truck' is just a little bit more safe...

[Niceguy1]

1. yeah the criminal bears

No responsibility for this....

[WolverineDG]

2. So cops aren't supposed to stop a crime in progress anymore

or is this just an excuse to Texas-bash?

[madokie]

3. Cops should not pursue at high speed

a thief in a vehicle that was reported stolen. Its not worth the chance of something like this happening.
Of course, this is my opinion

[WolverineDG]

4. So just let the car get stolen

& do nothing but twiddle thumbs. Ok.

[madokie]

5. Yes. It will turn up, if not, its just an inanimate object

hardly worth the chance of someone innocent being killed.

[Purveyor]

8. Versus a high speed chase that kills 4 kids? Your f'n car is more important...really! Some

priorities you have there, indeed.

[chillfactor]

10. good god...so to YOU....

a stolen truck recovery is more important that the lives of four children and two adults?....You really have your priorities screwed up.....get off the bottle and the crack....

[Texasgal]

12. It's easy for people to judge

they have no idea what horrendous crimes are happening in Texas near the border, women and children are being raped and killed daily due to the drug cartels and basic lawlessness in this area.

I feel horrible for the children and this family, but it;s easy to judge when people have no idea what's happening in that area.

[liberal_at_heart]

6. I agree with you. Any car traveling at high speeds is a lethal weapon. No one even cops should be

able to drive that fast unless somone's life is in danger. Even ambulances slow down in order not to cause accidents. It doesn't do the patient or the paramedics or the other drivers any good if they just barrel through at high speeds, get in a crash, and kill someone.

[no1uno]

7. Ended in death.

Just don't think it is so much about "Texas-bash" as it is about the senseless loss of life. High-speed chases almost always end badly. So what was accomplished? Certainly the vehicle was NOT returned to the owner intact. However, now that you mention it...not a bad idea to "Texas-bash."

[Skittles]

9. dreadful; absolutely dreadful

[markiv]

11. cops do have a catch 22 on stops

yes, cops can should and often do call off dangerous chases

but what happens if a signal is sent, that all you have to do is not stop to get away?

how will that affect stopping behavior? - face it, nobody stops because they want to. and taking down the plate or radioing ahead doesnt always cut it - plates can be fake, evidence of serious crimes can be tossed out the window, while running out of sight of one cop, before running into the next - rapists, murderers, robbers can walk in court

and the cop never knows what he's dealing with, until the stop is done. stolen cars are often used in far more serious crimes than car theft itself

[Quantess]

13. I'm betting Hector Ramirez was intoxicated

because he apparently escaped serious injury, while everyone else was killed or badly injured. Typical.

[npk]

14. Aren't cops supposed to protect and serve

Who were the cops "protecting" by chasing a car thief through the streets with innocent people so vulnerable. Who were the police "serving" by chasing the car thief. Were they serving the owner of the vehicle, where the likely hood of the vehicle being wrecked and possibly totaled goes up exponentially. Seems more like the cops were "serving" their ego and little else. Isn't this what many people refer to as "contempt of cop." Basically somebody refuses to do what you tell them, and you throw caution to the wind and risk reckless abandon to stop the person.

Most stolen vehicles are usually found in just a couple of hours, some may take a little longer, and in most cases where cops don't pursue car thief's, the vehicle is usually recovered with very little property damage, if any. And even if the car is never recovered, that is why we have insurance. There is no insurance to offer that somebody will not get hurt when cops pursue people at high speeds for very minor crimes, such as this.

[X_Digger]

15. In what world is Grand Theft Auto a 'very minor crime'?

If the cops had called off the chase and the thief then plowed into a crowded crosswalk, or t-boned another car because he was drunk, do you think that/those victim(s) families would say, "Oh well, you didn't chase him because it was too dangerous, so that's okay."

No, they'd be pilloried.

Oh, and by the way..

Most stolen vehicles are usually found in just a couple of hours,

Wrong.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130709/AUTO01/307090081

NHTSA says its findings show that only 52 percent of stolen vehicles are recovered.

the vehicle is usually recovered with very little property damage, if any.

Wrong-
http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/pdf/VTFacts_2011.pdf

Only 18 percent of recovered stolen cars had no apparent damage, indicating they may have been used only for transportation.Of the rest, 31 percent had been stripped; 31 percent were vandalized or had missing parts; 16 percent were wrecked; and 4 percent were burned or flooded.