Two North Richland Hills men were taken into custody after turning themselves in over a deadly street race that claimed the life of a young man in October. The suspects, identified as Joseph Branscomb, 30, and Robert O'Brien, 38, are facing second-degree felony charges for "Racing on Highway with Death," with their bail set at $35,000 each, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
The incident took place on Oct. 30, around 7:45 p.m. when officers were called to an extensive multi-vehicle wreckage along Davis Boulevard near Turner Terrace, which resulted in the death of 21-year-old Gavin Owens of Hurst and injuries to several others, it is not clear if they had claimed legal representation since they didn’t appear in Tarrant County jail records on Wednesday, police have not disclosed more information about how the deadly chain of events unfolded, as per the reports from WFAA.
Investigators pieced together the series of events after the crash that led them to believe both Branscomb and O'Brien were racing at high speeds moments before colliding with two other vehicles, tragically leading to the youthful Owens being hospitalized, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The police added that the roadway was shut down for several hours for investigation and cleanup while the community grappled with the aftermath.
While Owens was pronounced dead after the crash, two additional victims were taken to the hospital for treatment, cementing the notion among witnesses that speed had indeed been a critical factor in the incident and bringing about the arrests after an investigation by local authorities. Both suspects, now facing the grave consequences of their alleged street racing actions, turned themselves in, enlightening the community on the perilous outcomes of such reckless behavior on public streets.
