Jesus Gonzalez Jr., 17, died at the scene after a car crash in Fort Worth in January.
Family photo via GoFundMe
An 18-year-old driver faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter after his passenger died in a crash last month while the suspect allegedly tried to evade Fort Worth police, court records show.
The passenger, identified as 17-year-old Jesus Gonzalez Jr., died at the scene. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined his death was an accident caused by blunt force injuries.
The driver, Israel Suastegui, was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment and was arrested on Feb. 12 after being released from the hospital, according to police and court records.
Suastegui was booked in the Tarrant County Jail and released on $100,000 bond.
Suspected drunk driver evaded officers, police say
Fort Worth police officers saw a Chrysler 300 headed the wrong way on Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards about 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 3, police have said.
Suastegui, who was driving the car, ignored commands to stop, made a U-turn and sped away, according to police.
Another officer spotted the car a few minutes later and attempted a traffic stop. The driver fled again, but lost control of the vehicle and hit a utility pole near the 1500 block of East 4th Street, police said. The car caught fire.
According to the crash report written by a police investigator, Suastegui was suspected of being intoxicated. His blood alcohol test results are pending.
Suastegui did not have a driver’s license and was driving at an unsafe speed while evading police, the report states.
Family remembers teen killed in crash
Gonzalez’s family described him as a kind and cheerful young man who loved life, according to an online obituary.
“Jesus was very playful and enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. He loved cuddling with his mom and dad, playing video games with his siblings, and hanging out with his friends and family,” according to the obituary, translated from Spanish.
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Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.