The fatal collision took place at about 2 a.m. on January 1, 2025, on Interstate 20 near FM 741 in Mesquite.
Kaufman County, TX – The police are investigating a terrible traffic collision that claimed the lives of four people and injured three others in Mesquite early Wednesday.
The fatal collision took place at about 1:45 a.m. on January 1, 2025, in the eastbound lanes of I-20 at FM 740.
Investigators said an SUV had stopped on the side of the freeway because of a flat tire and four people from Terrell were outside the SUV helping to change the tire. As they were changing the tire, an intoxicated driver struck them and left the roadway, coming to rest in a ditch.
All four people were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims have been identified as Arturo Martinez Gonzalez, 47, Anthony Hernandez, 19, Mario Guajardo De La Paz, 19, and a 15-year-old male.
The driver that struck the victims, identified as 35-year-old Basilio Mares Ortiz, was arrested and charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter.
The incident remains under investigation.
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