Tesla driver in Bishop Arts pile-up also suspect in earlier hit-and-run
Tesla driver in pile-up also suspect in hit-and-run
A Tesla fleeing an earlier hit-and-run caused a multi-vehicle pile-up in Bishop Arts, sending several to the hospital as police continue their investigation and await the driver's release to file charges.
DALLAS - The man believed to have caused a multi-vehicle crash that sent several people to the hospital over the weekend is also believed to be involved in a hit-and-run just a half mile away.
Multiple vehicle pile-up
What we know:
We are still waiting for the suspect to be identified by the police as the suspect remains in the hospital.
Also in the hospital recovering is an Arlington couple.
Both of whom stayed conscious the whole time during the crash and were even able to walk away after their car was crushed.
A newly obtained surveillance video shows a pair of vehicles parked at a Bishop Arts stoplight on Saturday night before a red Tesla barreled through the intersection.
The impact caused a Toyota to pile on top of a dark-colored Lexus.
Victims recap incident
What they're saying:
Inside the crushed Lexus were the Arlington couple of Celestino Rubio and Valerie Alonso.
Valerie Alonso (left) and Celestino Rubio (right)
"I just remember all the forces on top of us. There was some space, but I could feel the weight of everything," said Alonso.
The Arlington couple spoke to FOX 4's Peyton Yager from inside a Dallas hospital, as Rubio is still recovering from a broken arm.
The night of the crash, he noticed his arm was bleeding profusely.
"I looked at the first person that had a belt. I said ‘Please take off your belt and apply a tourniquet to me, immediately high and tight'. It’s something I learned in the military," said Rubio.
Dallas police revealed on Tuesday that the red Tesla that caused this chaotic four-car collision was speeding away from a different crash half a mile away.
Crash before the pile-up
Dig deeper:
Surveillance video obtained by FOX 4 from Twelfth Street and Tyler Street shows the Tesla hit a vehicle, back up, and then leave.
Police say the Tesla took off northbound on Tyler Street at a high rate of speed, eventually plowing through the intersection of Tyler Street and Davis Street.
A cell phone video shows the red Tesla with front-end damage on its side against a power pole.
The driver was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Community helps
Local perspective:
Six other victims were hospitalized, according to police.
The video also shows a little girl pulled out of the teetering Toyota and carried away by Dallas Fire Rescue.
The child's mother was also injured.
At one point, Alonso was cared for by strangers who stepped in to help her.
"Everybody helped out. The community was amazing and inspiring. Everybody just came together," said Rubio.
What's next:
Rubio is scheduled for even more surgeries and at least a few more weeks in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the police are still investigating both crashes connected to the driver of the Tesla.
Following the investigation and the suspect being released from the hospital, that's when charges could be filed.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's Peyton Yager and previous FOX 4 coverage.