- A mother of three from Texas was killed when her Honda Accord was struck by a Dodge Challenger travelling at over 120 mph in a 45 mph zone.
- The 2021 Challenger R/T Scat Pack was being driven by a customer on a test drive from All American Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Odessa.
- Driver Benjamin Meece, who has been arrested more than 25 times, fled the scene and was found hiding in a backyard.
A woman in Odessa, Texas, was tragically killed when a high-speed Dodge Challenger test drive went badly wrong. The Mopar muscle car, travelling at over 120 mph (193 kmh) at points during the drive, struck the woman’s car so hard that she was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.
Now Quma Carrillo’s three children have filed a wrongful death suit against the driver, the salesman and the dealership, All American Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Odessa.
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The accident took place in June when salesman Kenneth Salas accompanied Benjamin Meece, 37, on a test drive of a 2021 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack. The suit states that surveillance footage plus black box from the Dodge put its speed at 124 mph (200 kmh) and its throttle 100 percent wide open when colliding with 47-year-old Carrillo’s Honda Accord at the intersection of East University Drive and Oakwood Drive.
Receiving the news that your mother had been killed in a crash caused by wreckless driving would be heartbraking enough, but in an awful twist of fate Carrillo’s daughter Natasha was on her way to get a coffee when she drove right by the accident scene and saw her mother lying on the pavement.
By this time, Meece had attempted to flee the scene but was captured in a nearby backyard and charged with four felony charges, including manslaughter and aggravated assault. His rap sheet already contains evidence of 25 prior arrests for offences including child endangerment, vehicle theft, breaking and entering, theft and forgery.
Salesman Salas, who was taken to hospital with serious injuries, might not have been behind the wheel, but Carillo’s children are going after him, too. They claim that he shouldn’t have let Meece drive so fast, and that posts made on social media proved he had a history of allowing speedy test drives.
“Benjamin Meece had no business being allowed behind the wheel in the first place,” said Ryan Zehl of Zehl & Associates, the legal firm representing Carillo’s family. “On top of that, his recklessness and negligence were enabled by a man trying to make a sale. Nothing will bring Quma back to her family, but we want to make sure that Mr. Meece, Mr. Salas and the dealership are held accountable.”
Image credits: NewsWest 9