3 Dead After Fiery Single-Vehicle Crash In Plano
PLANO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Three people are dead after a single-vehicle crash in Plano early Monday morning.
Police said the crash happened just before 3:45 a.m. near Hedgcoxe Road and Union Drive in the northwestern part of the city.
According to police, a BMW was speeding down Hedgcoxe Road when it hit a tree, which caused it to go over multiple curbs and then eventually into another tree in a median. Authorities found that the vehicle caught fire and split in half.
Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims have been identified as 18-year-old Yuxuan Wang (driver), 16-year-old Yuchen Jin (front passenger), and 18-year-old Jin Chen (rear passenger) all from Plano.
Police said officers were notified of the crash by the vehicle's on-board assist program after air bags were deployed.
The sound of the impact woke up neighbors who saw the flames through their windows.
"This happens at 3:45 in the morning. Obviously at that time traffic is light. And that's when unfortunately people have the belief they can get out there and open up a vehicle at a high rate of speed not understanding there is always that potential danger even if you are the only car on the roadway. You can lose control," Plano police spokesman David Tilley said.
Plano ISD released the following statement:
Our Plano ISD family joins with Plano Senior High and Plano West Senior High in mourning the lives lost over the weekend, including two currently enrolled students and a former student. We extend our sincere condolences to the students' families, and to our students and staff members affected by this tragedy. Additional counselors and other administrative staff will be onsite at the campuses and will make themselves available for as long as they are needed to support students and staff during this difficult time.