A car driving on the wrong side of a two-lane highway in East Texas early Friday collided with an SUV, killing all five people in the vehicles, authorities said.
The collision happened at about 5 a.m. on Texas 110, about 6 1/2 miles (10 1/2 kilometers) northwest of Tyler and 85 miles (135 kilometers) east of Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
A Dodge Charger was on the wrong side of the unlit highway and erupted into flames after rounding a curve and slamming head-on into a Chevrolet Tahoe, DPS Sgt. Jason Bundy said.
Gerardo Lopez, who lives nearby, said he and his wife were awakened by the sound of the crash.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
“A big ‘BOOM,’ and I tell my wife something happened, we have to get out there and help,” he told KLTV-TV of Tyler.
“I saw the car start getting on fire, and a man was asking for help. I got my little fire extinguisher for my dump truck, but that wasn’t enough,” Lopes said. “I feel bad. I still have the man’s screaming in my head.”
No evidence of alcohol or drug use was found at the crash scene, but excessive speed by the car may have been a factor, Bundy said. No identities have been released.
