2-year-old among 3 killed in wrong-way crash; officer hurt pulling another child from flames

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD/Gray News) - Police in Texas are investigating a wrong-way crash that killed three people and injured four others Thursday night. [CBS7]

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A fiery multi-vehicle collision on a Lubbock interstate Thursday evening claimed three lives and left four others injured, authorities said. Emergency responders arrived at the scene near 19th Street and Interstate 27 just after 7:23 p.m. to find two vehicles fully engulfed in flames following the high-speed impact.

The crash began when a sedan traveling in the wrong direction collided with oncoming traffic. Police determined that 29-year-old Oscar Hernandez Sotelo Jr. was operating the vehicle while heading south in the northbound lanes, with two children as passengers in the rear seats. His car struck a northbound sedan operated by 24-year-old Jairon Foster, then continued through the collision zone before striking a pickup truck head-on, investigators said.

Sotelo and a 2-year-old child who was in one of the burning vehicles died at the scene. A police officer sustained minor injuries after rescuing a 3-year-old from the same burning vehicle. The young child was transported to University Medical Center in critical condition, authorities reported. Foster was also taken to University Medical Center with serious injuries following the impact.

A 60-year-old passenger in Foster's vehicle, Lakecha Collins, was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup truck was operated by 28-year-old Alexis Wallace, who was traveling with a 19-year-old passenger, Aaliyah Wallace. Both occupants of the truck sustained serious injuries and were transported to Covenant Medical Center.

Lubbock Police Department's specialized crash investigation unit is leading the inquiry into the collision. Early findings suggest alcohol consumption and excessive speed may have contributed to the crash, police said. Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to contact investigators through email.