High-Speed Chase Ends in Fatal Collision, Three Dead, Multiple Injuries in El Paso

On October 14, 2023, at approximately 8:25 am, a tragic vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of 700 S. Americas and 700 S. Zaragoza in El Paso. The incident resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, prompting a response from the El Paso Special Traffic Investigations team.

The chain of events began when a marked police unit observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Loop 375 East Bound, near the Padres overpass. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver of the 2004 Brown Nissan Armada, identified as 21-year-old Carlos Alejandro Martinez from Horizon, Texas, chose to accelerate and evade the stop.

Due to the dangerous speed of the fleeing vehicle, the pursuing officer decided to disengage the traffic stop. However, the situation took a tragic turn as the fleeing vehicle exited at the Zaragoza exit and ran a red light, resulting in a collision with other vehicles at the intersection.

The impact of the crash was so severe that one of the vehicles involved caught fire while its occupants were still inside. Despite the chaos, the driver of the fleeing vehicle attempted to leave the scene and did not comply with the officer’s commands. Consequently, the officer had to deploy his taser on the driver.

All occupants of the fleeing vehicle, including Carlos Alejandro Martinez, Alex Bolado (24-year-old), and Isaih Dominguez (21-year-old), suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital for medical care.

The collision claimed the lives of three individuals in another vehicle, a 2008 Tan Mazda Tribute. The driver, a 31-year-old female, and two passengers, a 27-year-old female and an 8-year-old female, tragically lost their lives in the accident.

The investigation is ongoing, and the names of the deceased individuals will not be released until their next of kin have been notified. The incident also involved two other vehicles, a 2017 Blue Chevrolet Malibu driven by Jasmin Rodriguez, a 29-year-old Illinois resident, and a 2017 Silver Toyota Tundra operated by Victor Arnoldo Cardenas Lorta, a 31-year-old resident of El Paso, Texas.