Texas Woman Veers Off Road and Crashes, Killing Woman and Child Inside Home, Says Police

A Texas woman crashed her car into a home and injured multiple people, including a woman and a child who later died of their injuries, according to police.

Gracie Yates was driving in Stephenville on the morning of Sunday, March 22, when her car veered off the road and collided with a home located near North Ollie Street and West Green Street, the Stephenville Police Department said in a news release issued later that day.

After officers were called to the crash at around 3:26 a.m., they found “multiple people with injuries,” police said.

Those individuals, who were not identified by authorities, were taken to a local hospital, according to police.

“Despite life-saving efforts, two of the individuals, an adult female and a juvenile male, were pronounced deceased,” police said.

The woman was identified as Barbara Rocha by her loved ones, who said her 7-year-old son, Alex, was also killed, according to WFAA.

Yates was arrested on two counts of criminally negligent homicide in connection with their deaths, according to police. She is 18 years old, authorities said, WFAA reported.

It was not immediately clear whether Yates had retained an attorney who could comment on her behalf.

A neighbor, Reese Skinner, who lives in a home next to where the crash occurred, told WFAA that Barbara’s husband is making funeral arrangements in the wake of the crash. The couple’s daughter was also inside the home during the collision and survived, according to the outlet.

“He told me what had happened, but I just felt helpless,” Skinner told WFAA. “I wanted to help him, and all I could do is offer my condolences and a hug.”

Barbara’s husband was identified as Alfredo Rocha in a GoFundMe created by his friend, Dondee Soto.

“In an instant, Alfredo lost his family and the place he called home,” the page states, in part. “The shock and pain of this loss are unimaginable, and now he’s left to pick up the pieces of his life while grieving for those he loved most.”

“Alfredo is now without a house and is struggling to cover the funeral costs for his wife and son,” the page continues. “He’s also in urgent need of temporary housing and support for other immediate needs as he tries to rebuild.”

It is unclear what led to the deadly crash, as authorities did not specify why Yates allegedly veered off road on March 22.

Yates is being held on a $29,000 bond, jail records viewed by Us Weekly show.

Stephenville is located about a 70-mile drive southwest from Fort Worth.