I witnessed this horrific wreck on Sunday that killed two three people.

Police said Ignacio Gomez-Gutierrez, 25, was speeding along the 22600 block of the Eastex Freeway about 3:40 p.m. Sunday when his pickup slammed into the back of a car.

Vanessa Ortiz, 18, and Maria Ortiz, 49, were in the 1998 Buick when it was struck from behind. They were both killed on impact, police said.

Vanessa Ortiz was also 5 months pregnant.

This is video of the scene moments after. It was a terrible wreck and I was in shock in seeing the car crumpled like a soda can. I knew the results were not going to be good.

The man driving the truck that crashed into the victims hopped out and tried to run away, only to be hit by a car himself. He survived, was arrested and is now facing two counts of intoxication manslaughter. (I’d argue it should be three)

When we saw him jump out and start to run, the group of witnesses surrounding me started wondering aloud about why he would run. Some thought he may have been drunk. Others suggested he could’ve been an illegal.

Turns out he was BOTH.

From the Houston Chronicle:

According to the investigating Houston police officer, Javier Calvillo, Gomez-Gutierrez’s blood alcohol was about three times the legal limit.

And this wasn’t his first time. He had three prior DWI convictions. THREE!

For the first misdemeanor conviction in 2002, he received 60 days confinement and for the second misdemeanor conviction in 2004 he was sentenced to only 10 days.

The third conviction should have been a felony, but it was reduced to a misdemeanor for which he was sentenced to a year in the county jail.

And as if that wasn’t enough bad news, it turns out he was also an illegal. According to an email I received from Cindy Horswell of the Chronicle, “Gomez-Gutierrrez was an illegal immigrant who entered this country in 2001 and was never deported after any of the three prior convictions.”

“We are so angry,” said Sylvia Flores, 28, whose mother and younger sister died in the accident. “If everyone had done what they were supposed to do, they would still be alive. I don’t want (Gomez-Gutierrez) to slip through the cracks again. He’s just been given a slap on the wrist. No wonder he did it again.”

Is anyone in immigration and law enforcement awake anymore? Consider the deaths of these three innocent people yet another tragic wake up call.

UPDATE:
Here’s an update to the story, including reactions from the prosecutor who let Gomez-Gutierrez off the hook and ICE officials who may have missed a chance to deport him… multiple times.

1. This sort of thing is becoming common here in the Houston area.

   When you live in a city considered a “safe haven,” it will only get worse.

   The people he killed were also Mexican. I wonder how that family feels about that.

   Six months ago, a drunk Mexican wiped out my mailbox and ended up in my ditch…stinking drunk. He had his wife take him home, clean him up and bring him back before the cops got there. The truck reeked of alcohol. I still do NOT understand why the cop didn’t arrest him.

   The Mexican said, “I’ll be back this afternoon to fix your mailbox, sir.” Never saw him again.

   Comment by needtawrite — 11:07 am
   

2. […] If not, read this by LC & IB Texas Rainmaker. It’s OK, we’re not going anywhere, and you need to read it, believe us. […]

   Pingback by Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler » Blog Archive » Murdering the Families that No Americans Will Murder — 3:37 pm
   

3. Absolutely disgusting. Three innocents killed by some drunken invader that shouldn’t even be here. One of the innocent victims of this horrible and all too frequent crime had yet to draw a single breath of life.

   This is one of the many reasons we fled Houston after living there for 13 years. Almost every weekend a Mexican was either arrested or killed somebody driving in the wrong direction on a major highway. How in the world can you get on the Katy freeway going the wrong way? They sure found a way.

   Unfortunately this carnage will continue until somebody with REAL authority grows a pair. But they wont. The Hispandering for votes will continue as we sit by and watch our American values and culture disappear, one Illegal at a time.

   Comment by Bungee — 4:14 pm
   

4. […] Check out the Texas Rainmaker’s post on the recent drunk driving crash in North Houston that killed two women.  Turns out the driver was an illegal alien who had 3 prior DUI convictions.  TTR says: Is anyone in immigration and law enforcement awake anymore? Consider the deaths of these three innocent people yet another tragic wake up call. […]

   Pingback by Black Shards, In Your Eyes, Blinding » Drunk + Illegal = Murder — 8:07 pm
   

5. […] In a followup to the tragic car wreck story, the officials involved in letting this illegal alien murderer get back behind the wheel of a car are all scrambling to justify why they dropped the ball. A Harris County prosecutor, criticized for negotiating in 2005 a reduced drunken driving penalty for a man now accused of intoxicated manslaughter in the death of two women, said Wednesday she believed a jury would have been equally lenient. […] If convicted of a felony in the 2005 case, Gomez-Gutierrez would have faced two to 10 years in prison. […]

   Pingback by Texas Rainmaker » Don’t Worry Officials, There’s Enough Blame to Go Around — 11:39 am
   

6. […] More Non-Law Enforcement Texas Rainmaker has pulled together the details on this, which is becoming more common every day.  Let’s recap: […]

   Pingback by More Non-Law Enforcement « Colorado Right — 11:56 am
   

7. […] Blogger Texas Rainmaker witnessed the accident, and reports: “It was a terrible wreck and I was in shock in seeing the car crumpled like a soda can.” He links to a video of the aftermath of the accident, from which this still image was taken: […]

   Pingback by Hot Air » Blog Archive » “Deport the Criminals First” — An Illegal Alien Drunk Driver Snuffs Out Three Human Lives in Texas — 11:29 pm
   

8. […] Permalink: http://www.texasrainmaker.com/2007/03/28/are-law-enforcement-officials-competing-to-see-who-can-least-protect-us/ […]

   Pingback by Are Law Enforcement Officials Competing to See Who Can Least Protect Us? « Toms FlashBacks — 3:39 pm
   

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