Reckless driving is the number one cause of auto accidents that cause major devastation, that can change lives forever. An accident can happen as quickly as a blink of the eye. Loved ones are lost, and survivors will play the accident over and over in their mind for years to come. The sorrow that comes with this unfortunate occurrence is often buried deep inside. such is the case of an accident that happened in 2016.
A reckless driver was speeding while driving on a residential street, plowed into another vehicle, killing three of the occupants in Dallas, Texas.
The driver, Xavier Taylor, is standing trial for the felony vehicular manslaughter of three children. Maricela Mendoza was driving her four children to taekwondo practice, when the car driven by Xavier plowed into the rear driver’s side of the red sedan. Three of her children perished, and one survived.
Three children were in the rear seat, and had on seat belts. The youngest, age 3, was in a child safety seat. The surviving child was in the front seat. The ones that were killed were identified as Pamela M. Mendoza, age 11, Brian A. Mendoza age 7, and Lizbeth E. Mendoza age 3. The oldest child, Dulce Mendoza, remembered that she closed her eyes for a nap before getting to practice, and woke up to hearing the screams of her mother.
Taylor originally responded to police questioning by saying that he was not going very fast, only about 45 or 50 miles per hour. His startling remark that “the other driver should use better judgement”, both shocked, and dismayed the officers. He also stated that the red sedan pulled out in front of him.
His story was soon torn apart after police investigated the accident, and a business owner in the area provided a surveillance tape that captured the entire accident. The tape was played for jurors at the trial, and many found it heartbreaking to watch. The impact was so fierce, with sparks flying, that some were wiping away tears.
Police in Dallas concluded that the cause of the accident was the excessive speed of Xavier Taylor. He was driving at 98 miles per hour, and hit his brakes just fifteen seconds before the impact. The speed limit that was posted for that street was 35 miles per hour. Other drivers admitted to seeing his black vehicle speeding at a rate never before seen on that street, just prior to the crash. He was traveling on Singleton Street going in and out of traffic. People who were at the scene at the time of the accident found it difficult to comprehend how someone could endanger others by driving so recklessly.
Taylor is in the Dallas County jail on a $300,000 bond. His sentencing has not been determined, nor is there any speculation as to how much time he will receive. With all of the horror stories there are about reckless driving, and vehicular deaths, it should be enough to put a halt to unacceptable driving behaviors, but people still continue to be inconsiderate of their own lives, and the lives of countless, innocent others.
