A rollover crash on southbound I-35W near I-20 and Altamesa Boulevard left two people injured early Sunday morning, and Fort Worth police say the driver accused of causing it had been arrested for drunk driving just one week before. The crash happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. on October 25, when 34-year-old Gustavo Diaz allegedly slammed into the back of an SUV, sending it flipping onto its roof with two people trapped inside.
According to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Worth police said Diaz was drunk when he struck the SUV from behind, a collision that sent both vehicles veering toward a wall along the highway. The impact flipped the SUV with its two occupants trapped inside, and other drivers on the freeway stopped to help pull them free, the station reported.
One of those occupants, Claudia Luna, was reportedly unconscious inside the overturned vehicle. She suffered an open wound on top of her head along with bruises across her body, per the report, but she has since been released from the hospital and is recovering with family. The second passenger's identity has not been released, and the station's report notes there is no update on that person's condition beyond being listed in critical condition at the hospital with a broken leg.
Driver Allegedly Tried to Run
Diaz did not stay at the scene, according to the report, which states he tried to flee on foot after the crash. He was caught quickly, the outlet reported, after witnesses gave police descriptions that led to his capture nearby.
Diaz now faces two counts tied to intoxication assault and a collision involving serious bodily injury, per the same account. Under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49, a person commits an offense if they operate a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated and cause serious bodily injury to another as a result.
Second Arrest in a Week
What stands out most in the report is the timing: Fort Worth police had already arrested Diaz for DWI exactly one week earlier, on October 18, according to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. That means the rollover crash marks his second DWI-related arrest within seven days, the article notes, though no additional details on the earlier arrest's outcome were provided.
