Prom Night Turns into Nightmare
A high school prom date has turned tragic with one teen is dead and another severely injured after a suspected drunk driver fleeing police ran a red light in north Houston early Saturday morning.
According to authorities, a member of HPD’s DWI Task Force spotted a driving a white pickup truck that was driving erratically around 1:00 a.m. HPD spokesman Kese Smith said that officers attempted to pull over the driver. The driver of the pickup gave the indication of pulling over but then sped off from police.
The driver made a U-turn, jumped a curb and drove through the parking lot of a Fiesta grocery store. Smith said that the driver then turned onto the North Freeway service road heading northbound. THz chase came to an end when the pickup driver ran a red light and broadsided a Dodge Charger.
The female occupant of the Charger, Jocelynn Valero, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The 18-year-old driver, whose name has not yet been released by authorities, is in critical condition. Valero and her date had attended prom at Yes Prep North Central high school where both were students. The couple had stopped at an IHOP after the event.
The driver of the white pickup received only minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital in stable condition and showed signs of impairment at the time of the accident.
HPD has identified the driver as Edin Placios-Rodas, 27. He will, according to Smith, likely be facing the charge of felony murder.
In an added tragedy to the Valero family, Jocelyn’s brother, Jose, was fatally shot outside of a nightclub in Northwest Houston just weeks before her death. Jose’s murderer is still at large.
A cousin to Jocelyn and Jose said that the two tragic events have left the family distraught.
There is no greater tragedy for any parent than to have to lose a child. It’s unimaginable that the same family would have to face such a horrific tragedy twice in so short a time. No one should ever have to go through such a devastating tragedy.
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