A Texas father has been charged with murder after admitting to drinking a beer before crashing his vehicle and killing another driver.
Elmer Quintanilla, 26, allegedly told a police officer after the crash that he was traveling at around 90 mph at the time of the crash, reported ABC13.
Quintanilla, who had his wife and three children, ages 6, 5, and 1, with him, also said he drank a beer just before taking the wheel.
Investigators said that Quintanilla’s truck exited the West Sam Houston Parkway on Sunday afternoon, March 11, and slammed into a red Acura sedan, killing the driver.
The impact sent the sedan through a brick sign and into a Toyota, which was exiting a church parking lot. The female driver of the Toyota was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Quintanilla’s truck then veered into a utility pole, which led to a power outage in the area.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said at a probable cause hearing that Quintanilla was committing a felony by driving while intoxicated with children under 15 in the vehicle, reported The Houston Chronicle.
Prosecutors said that because Quintanilla was committing a felony while causing a man’s death, he was charged with murder.
Elmer Quintanilla, accused of driving drunk, crashing with kids in truck walks out during court appearance –> https://t.co/yG7Txfe0cP pic.twitter.com/2iBqeA9x6X
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) March 12, 2018
Quintanilla’s three children and his wife were taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries following the multi-vehicle crash.
Quintanilla was asked on Monday morning during the hearing if he did indeed refuse the assistance of a public defender, reported ABC13, to which he responded, “No comment.”
He also apparently walked away from the judge in the middle of the hearing.
The broadcaster said that the suspect put his head down when the prosecutor started talking about his family in court.
Click2Houston reported that Quintanilla is not a U.S. citizen, citing court documents.
Quintanilla is being held on a $150,000 bond.
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