The driver of a Camaro, who police say slammed into the back of a sedan, sparking a fire that killed all five occupants, told police there was no damage to his car.
In an affidavit obtained by NBC 5 on Thursday, police said 19-year-old Eduardo Gonzalez was first interviewed after the Aug. 19 crash while in the back of an ambulance at the scene.
Police said Gonzalez told investigators he stopped on the side of the highway because he wasn't feeling well and that he turned on his hazard lights and drank some water because he felt like he might throw up. He said he stopped because he didn't want to crash.
The investigator said he then went to look at both crashed vehicles and confirmed the charred remains of five people in a sedan. Officials have not confirmed the identities of the victims and said confirming their identities through DNA may take several weeks.
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Before following Gonzalez to the hospital, the investigator said he looked inside the Camaro and spotted several beer bottles and an open can of beer in the center console.
According to the document, at the hospital the investigator interviewed Gonzalez for a second time. Gonzalez told the investigator he was driving down the highway and was pulled over by a police officer and now he was at the hospital. When the investigator asked about the damage to his vehicle, "Eduardo responded with there was no damage to his car" and then he "became uncooperative."
A different investigator asked Gonzalez if he was driving a Camaro, and he said, "Yes." He asked if he was headed north on Interstate 35W, and Gonzalez replied, "Yes." The officer then asked Gonzalez if he knew he had been in a crash and if he knew he was at the hospital, and he replied "Yes" to both questions.
Investigators said Gonzalez had red, watery eyes, smelled of alcohol and agreed to a field sobriety test. He said he believed his level of intoxication was a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10. Following the second interview, investigators said they believed Gonzalez was intoxicated and arrested him. Police said he was accused of drunken driving and later charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Gonzalez was moved to the Tarrant County Jail and later released after posting bonds totaling $750,000. As a condition of his bond, he must install a camera-equipped ignition interlock device on any car he operates. It's unclear if he's obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
