Four family members killed returning from Six Flags after street racer slams into their SUV

Members of the Rosales family were killed after their Chevy Traverse collided with a red Dodge Charger, rolled twice and burst into flames

Mike Bedigan
New York
Tuesday 13 August 2024 20:24 BST
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VIDEO: Aftermath of Grand Prairie fiery crash

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Four family members were killed and another was left in critical condition after a street racer smashed into their car as they returned home from a Texas theme park.

Jessie Rosales, his wife Lorena, and children Anthony, 17, Stephanie,13, and Angel, 6, were traveling back from the Six Flags resort and dinner at a Panda Express on Saturday when the crash happened.

A red Dodge Charger collided with the family’s Chevy Traverse, causing the SUV to roll twice and burst into flames. Video of the incident shared on social media showed the fiery wreckage of the car by a gas station and the Charger nearby.

Three of the Rosales family died at the scene and a fourth died at the hospital.

Only 17-year-old Anthony Rosales survived the crash, though he remains in hospital in critical condition, according to a GoFundMe, which had raised over $32,000 as of Tuesday.

Members of the Rosales family who died in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Saturday after a street racer crashed into their vehicle. Anthony Rosales (center back) was the sole survivor of the incident
Members of the Rosales family who died in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Saturday after a street racer crashed into their vehicle. Anthony Rosales (center back) was the sole survivor of the incident (Rosales Family)

“His brother Jessie and sister Natalie have stepped up to get him through this physical battle in addition to all the other battles they will face,” the page description read. “This sweet sibling group has a long hard road ahead of them physically, emotionally and financially.”

The funds from the page will be used for Anthony’s medical bills and funeral expenses.

Two men are in custody and charged with multiple felonies following the incident.

According to investigators, 20-year-old Jaime Mesa was driving the red charger, WBAP reported. He faces four counts of manslaughter, four counts of racing on a highway causing death, one count of racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Mesa is also currently hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to WBAP.

The driver of the second vehicle involved in the race, a white Dodge Charger Daytona, fled the scene after the crash, according to investigators but was later named as 22-year-old Antony Morales.

Morales is charged with counts of racing on a highway causing death and one count of racing on a highway causing serious bodily injury.

The Independent has reached out to the Grand Prairie Police Department for further information about the incident.

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