Erica Lafollette Yzaguirre, 52, died Friday night after a three-vehicle crash on Dixieland Road in Cameron County, Texas. The collision happened around 8:30 p.m. west of Rangerville Road, leaving three other people injured and sending authorities to arrest a 25-year-old Harlingen man on suspicion of intoxication-related offenses.
Yzaguirre was among four people traveling in a white Ford Explorer heading east on Dixieland Road when a black GMC Sierra approached from the opposite direction on the wrong side of the roadway, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Troopers said the pickup was traveling westbound in the eastbound direction when it approached the Ford. The Explorer’s driver tried to avoid a head-on collision by steering left into the westbound lane. However, the maneuver did not prevent the crash. The GMC struck the right front side of the SUV.
A third vehicle, a white Buick Encore, was also traveling eastbound. Its driver attempted to avoid the collision by turning left but ended up striking the Ford Explorer as well, according to the preliminary account of the crash.
The impact left all four occupants of the Ford needing medical attention. Emergency responders transported them to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. Yzaguirre later died at the hospital from her injuries.
Authorities have not released details about the conditions of the other three people who were inside the Ford. Their identities and the extent of their injuries have also not been provided in the initial report.
Following the crash, troopers arrested Ruben Jaydeth Fuentes, 25, of Harlingen. He faces one count of intoxication manslaughter and three counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle in connection with the collision.
Fuentes was booked into the Cameron County Jail, where he was listed as an inmate following his arrest. The charges stem from the circumstances surrounding the crash, and the allegations have yet to be resolved in court.
The collision happened in the Harlingen area of Cameron County, in South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Dixieland Road runs west of Harlingen, with the crash reported near Rangerville Road.
For Yzaguirre’s family and those close to her, Friday night’s collision ended in a loss that cannot be undone. What began as an ordinary journey on a local road turned into a deadly crash that also left three other people needing hospital care.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the crash remains under investigation. Further details about the circumstances surrounding the collision may become available as investigators continue their work.
Leave a Reply