Man Killed In Wrong-Way Head-On Crash In Dallas, Suspected Drunk Driver In Critical Condition
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Another driver has killed someone going the wrong way on a Dallas road.
It happened around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday on a freeway exit ramp in downtown Dallas.
The victim is an Arkansas man whose car was hit head-on by a driver who was critically injured and facing criminal charges if he survives.
Law enforcement sources tell CBS 11, arresting officers smelled alcohol on the breath of the wrong-way driver.
The suspect, Cesar Torres, 24, was arrested in Carrollton four years ago on a theft charge.
Dallas County Sheriff's deputies say Torres was driving east on Main Street in downtown Dallas, when he drove up the exit ramp that leads to I-45 south, ignoring four signs that say "Wrong Way" or "Do Not Enter."
Within seconds, his Acura sedan collided head-on with the Ford Mustang Mac Brantley, 55, was driving.
He was killed in the crash.
Investigators believe the Torres had plenty of warnings to alert him he was going the wrong way.
"TxDOT has been working on trying to make the exit ramps and the entrances to the freeway more visible in the last few years. They've actually lowered the signs down to eye level," said Det. Raul Rayna of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.
Torres currently faces a third-degree manslaughter charge.
That could be changed to intoxication manslaughter depending on the outcome of his blood testing.
Deputies shut down the northbound lanes of the highway for nearly four hours as they investigated and cleared the scene.