July 16th, 2011
Updated: Driver charged in fatal wreck on Texas 123

UPDATED JULY 19: San Marcos police arrested the driver of a pickup involved in a fatal wreck on Highway 123 in San Marcos Friday and charged him with intoxication manslaughter and assault.

Luis R. Besa, 42, of Seguin was jailed at the Hays County Law Enforcement Center on one count of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault. Bond was set at $100,000 for the manslaughter charge, a second degree felony, and $50,000 for the assault, a third degree felony.

Alejandro Perez, age 58, of Maxwell was killed in the crash when the Cadillac El Dorado in which he was riding was rear-ended by Besa’s Chevy pickup truck around 5:50 p.m. Friday. The car was pushed oncoming traffic and was broadsided by a GMC Sonoma pickup truck and then struck by a Hummer. The car caught on fire, which was extinguished by a passing truck driver.

The driver of the Cadillac, identified as Alfredo Aquino, 62, of Lockhart, was taken to University Medical Center at Brackenridge in Austin where he remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

EMS transported several additional victims from the other two vehicles to Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos where they were treated and released.

STAFF REPORT

San Marcos police are investigating a four vehicle crash that occurred around 5:50 p.m. Friday on Texas 123 near Staples Road, leaving one man dead and three others taken to area hospitals.

San Marcos Fire Department, San Marcos police, Hays County Sheriff’s Office and San Marcos-Hays County EMS responded to the multi-vehicle wreck in the 1100 block of Texas 123.

According to initial reports, a Chevy pickup truck traveling south on Texas 123 struck the rear of a Cadillac sedan waiting to turn into a grocery store parking lot. The back of the sedan was crushed by the impact and the vehicle was sent into oncoming traffic, where it was broadsided by a GMC pickup and struck by a Hummer.

The front seat passenger in the Cadillac was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace JoAnn Prado. The Cadillac’s driver was transported with possible life-threatening injuries to University Medical Center at Brackenridge in Austin.

EMS transported two additional injured victims from other vehicles involved in the wreck to Central Texas Medical Center.

Police have not released the name of the man killed in the wreck, pending notification of next of kin. Police are continuing their investigation of the crash, which shut down Texas 123 for several hours.