Man who killed 5 Dallas women in Burnet County crash was flooring it in wrong direction: Affidavit
Fatal crash suspect floored it in wrong direction
According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by FOX 4, the man's car data showed that his accelerator pedal was pushed as far as it would go just before impact.
BURNET COUNTY, Texas - The man arrested after five Dallas women were killed in a Burnet County crash is believed to have been accelerating in the wrong direction when he caused the wreck, a newly released document says.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by FOX 4, the man's car data showed that his accelerator pedal was pushed as far as it would go just before impact.
Burnet County crash affidavit
Kody Talley
The latest:
The man accused of causing the crash, Kody Talley, is believed to have been driving northbound on US 281 prior to the July 25 crash. Suddenly, the arrest document says, Talley swerved over the center divider into oncoming traffic before hitting a Chevrolet Malibu. Witness dashcam video reportedly confirmed this.
Talley's Dodge Ram 4500 pickup bounced from the Malibu to a Mercedes-Benz SUV, after which it came to a stop at a fence line on the northbound side of the roadway. The Benz, which overturned and caught on fire, was carrying five Dallas women: Brianna Valadez, Ruby Cruz, Jackie Velazco, Desiree Cervantes and Thalia Salinas, all of whom were pronounced dead after the crash.
After the incident, investigators found that Talley's airbag control module showed he was accelerating for about the last second and a half before hitting the Malibu, with his accelerator at 100 percent depression for the last 0.3 seconds before impact.
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Furthermore, investigators found that Talley was driving an overloaded truck, which required a different level of driver's license than he has. He is also allegedly required to have an ignition interlock device, which the truck was not equipped with. He was also found to have two prior convictions for driving while intoxicated. A previous crash report obtained by FOX 4 says Talley was never tested for drugs or alcohol at the scene, and his arrest warrant affidavit says he left before speaking to DPS troopers, though he did briefly talk to local authorities.
Talley has been accused of driving on the wrong side of the road, improper driver's license for class of vehicle, violating driver's license restriction, failure to control speed, and he faces five counts of manslaughter.
Injured Malibu occupants
Dig deeper:
The affidavit identifies the occupants of the Malibu as Cody Burton, 51, and his son, Dylan Burton, 20.
FOX 4 reached out to Cody, who says he'll be in an inpatient facility for some time after surgery for injuries to his leg and a shattered hip and pelvis. He was taken from the scene via helicopter after the crash.
According to Cody, Dylan has been released after being hospitalized for cracked ribs and a broken sternum.
Dylan was the one driving the Malibu, and Cody says his son was able to swerve a bit just before the crash to avoid being hit head-on.
Five Dallas friends killed in crash
Burnet County crash victims
Local perspective:
The five victims killed in the crash were childhood friends, their families tell FOX 4, and were on their way from North Texas to Kingsland for a birthday celebration for Salinas, 23, where they were set to meet with the girl's family at a lake house.
Valadez, 22, worked at Oak Cliff Pediatrics, where she is remembered as a bright light with a soft, quiet spirit who welcomed all families, her former coworkers say.
A GoFundMe for Cruz, 23, reads, "This sudden and unimaginable loss has left our family completely devastated and many friends in mourning."
Family members of Velazco, 21, and Cervantes, 23, have declined to speak publicly as they process their loss.
What's next:
Funerals for all five of the women are set to be held this week.
The Source: Information in this report came from a document provided by Burnet County.
