Two people were killed yesterday in a violent wrong‑way crash on Interstate 35W in south Fort Worth, according to police. Officers arrived to find a head‑on collision in the northbound lanes, and both occupants of the vehicle that was struck were pronounced dead at the scene. The other driver, an 18‑year‑old, was taken into custody and now faces a felony manslaughter charge.
Police were dispatched just after 2 a.m. to the northbound side of I‑35W near Garden Acres Drive, where the crash shut down the freeway for hours as first responders worked the scene. Emergency crews fought back the flames while traffic investigators slowly moved through the wreckage, marking debris and documenting skid patterns, before the highway reopened later that morning. Those early details about the response and road closure were first reported by DFW Scanner.
Crash and arrest
According to the Fort Worth Star‑Telegram, police identified the driver as 18‑year‑old Axel Perez. He was arrested and booked on a charge of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle. Investigators told reporters they believe Perez was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of I‑35W when his vehicle hit the victims’ car head‑on.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office is responsible for formally identifying the two people who died. Their names will be released once next‑of‑kin notifications are complete, authorities said.
Charges and legal process
Under Texas law, intoxication manslaughter is treated as a serious felony offense. Texas Penal Code §49.08 generally classifies it as a second‑degree felony, meaning a conviction can bring significant prison time. Prosecutors must show not only that a driver was intoxicated, but also that the intoxication caused the deaths in the crash.
Recent legislative changes have increased potential penalties in cases where multiple people are killed, raising the stakes in prosecutions like this one. The statute spelling out the offense and punishment is detailed in state law at the Texas Penal Code §49.08.
Why wrong‑way crashes are so deadly
Wrong‑way collisions do not happen every day, but when they do, they tend to be catastrophic. Drivers are often moving at full highway speed in opposite directions, which means the impact is typically severe and frequently head‑on. National and statewide data show Texas records more wrong‑way crash fatalities than most states, and alcohol shows up again and again as a factor.
For a deeper look at how wrong‑way crashes happen and what agencies are trying to do about them, a National Academies review and an AAA Texas analysis break down the numbers, the role of alcohol, and possible countermeasures. The data and policy recommendations are summarized by the National Academies Press and AAA Texas.
Investigation continues
The Fort Worth Traffic Investigations Unit was notified, and detectives are continuing to process evidence and reconstruct the sequence of events that led up to the crash. Authorities have not released the victims’ names, pending formal identification by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, the Star‑Telegram reports.
Police say the investigation remains active, and they have not yet shared additional information about where the suspect entered the freeway or what happened in the moments before the wrong‑way impact.
