A 36-year-old Dallas man was killed early last Wednesday when his white Alfa Romeo sedan slammed into the trailer of a slow-moving 18-wheeler on northbound Interstate 635 in Mesquite. Jose Aguilar Renteria died at the scene before emergency responders could render aid, and the truck driver was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
The crash happened at approximately 3:17 a.m. in the 21100 block of northbound IH-635 near North Gross Road, according to Mesquite Police Department details reported by CBS News Texas. The truck driver, identified as 30-year-old Ulises Mendez Hernandez, was taken into custody at the scene. Mendez Hernandez is a resident of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, according to official Mesquite Police Department documentation. As reported by Fox 4 News, the Mesquite Police Department Traffic Unit is now investigating the fatal crash.
Police have said preliminary findings indicate the passenger car struck the rear of a slow-moving semi-truck trailer in traffic on I-635, the same account notes. That detail matters because of the legal distinction between the charge Mendez Hernandez is currently facing and a more severe one prosecutors could pursue later.
Why DWI, Not Manslaughter — For Now
Under Texas Penal Code § 49.08, Intoxication Manslaughter is a second-degree felony punishable by two to twenty years in prison, but it requires proof that a driver's intoxication directly caused the victim's death. Standard DWI under § 49.04, by contrast, is a misdemeanor carrying up to 180 days in jail. Because the collision dynamics — a car striking the rear of a slow-moving trailer — remain under investigation, prosecutors may still be evaluating whether Mendez Hernandez's alcohol level was a direct cause of the impact or a separate violation uncovered during the probe.
Commercial drivers face a far stricter standard than most motorists. Under Texas Transportation Code § 522.081 and Texas Penal Code § 49.04, commercial motor vehicle operators are held to a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.04 percent — half the 0.08 percent limit that applies to non-commercial drivers. That threshold means a commercial driver can be charged with DWI even with minimal physical impairment if testing at or above 0.04 percent.
The professional stakes are steep as well. Under Texas Transportation Code § 522.081, a commercial driver's license holder convicted of a first-offense DWI while operating a commercial vehicle faces an automatic one-year disqualification of commercial driving privileges — a consequence that applies regardless of whether the driver holds a U.S. or foreign commercial credential.
Second Deadly Truck Crash in Mesquite in Five Days
This is not an isolated incident. Just five days earlier, on September 4, at 3:16 a.m., 33-year-old Lisa Maldonado was killed in Mesquite when her SUV collided with the rear of a semi-truck trailer on the I-30 ramp to northbound I-635, resulting in manslaughter charges against that truck driver, according to BiblioRedes, citing Mesquite Police releases. Two fatal early-morning crashes involving 18-wheeler trailers, both near the same interchange, within less than a week have put a spotlight on that stretch of highway.
Regional safety data backs up the concern. The North Central Texas Council of Governments ranks multiple segments of I-635 among the top high-injury corridors in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, including the Garland/Mesquite segment spanning Centerville Road to La Prada Parkway, according to the Wooley Law Firm. Texas Department of Transportation CRIS data for 2025 identified I-635 as one of the deadliest roadways in the metroplex, recording 13 fatal crashes that year — tied with I-45 for the most in the region.
A Highway Built for Far Less Traffic
Part of the problem is sheer volume. TxDOT records show I-635 was originally designed in 1969 to carry 180,000 vehicles per day, but average daily traffic has since grown to 230,000 vehicles, placing it among Texas' top 30 most congested roadways. That pressure has triggered the ongoing 635 East reconstruction project spanning from US 75 to I-30 in Mesquite.
Citywide numbers underscore the danger on Mesquite's roads generally. Texas Department of Transportation crash data for 2024 recorded 3,581 total traffic crashes in Mesquite, including 11 fatal crashes resulting in 12 deaths and 62 serious-injury crashes resulting in 79 severe injuries, according to Angel Reyes & Associates. Both I-30 and I-635 carry heavy daily commuter and freight traffic through the city.
No further details on Aguilar Renteria's case have been released, and the Mesquite Police Department Traffic Unit's investigation into the September 9 crash remains ongoing.
