What to Know
- Victim's parents say they'll be diligent in seeking justice for their daughter and unborn grandson, Baby Josiah.
- Dallas firefighter was drinking in a bar before crash, police say. He's been charged with one count of intoxication manslaughter.
- More charges against the firefighter are possible, police say.
A Dallas firefighter charged with one count of intoxication manslaughter after he was involved in an off-duty crash that killed a pregnant teenager and her unborn child has been released on bond.
The firefighter, identified Wednesday as 45-year-old Horace Shaw III, was speeding down U.S. Highway 67 near Belt Line Road in Cedar Hill when he crashed a Mercedes sports car into 18-year-old Alyssa Pimentel's Mazda SUV at about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, police say.
According to an arrest affidavit released Thursday, witnesses told police the driver of the Mercedes passed him at a high rate of speed, estimated between 100 and 110 mph, and that he saw sparks as the sports car crested a hill. The witness said he then saw the sports car and another vehicle slide off the roadway and into the grassy shoulder between the highway and the southbound service road.
The witness stopped at the scene of the crash and said as he approached the vehicles the driver of the sports car exited his vehicle, walked to the victim on the ground, announced he was a paramedic and then laid down on the ground.
Pimentel, the driver ejected from the vehicle, died at the scene. Police said Pimentel was several months pregnant and her child did not survive the crash. Family members said she was due to deliver around Christmas.
Dallas Fire-RescuePimentel's boyfriend, Isaiah Perez, 21, was a passenger in her vehicle. He suffered a broken leg and neck. He said the couple planned to name their baby boy Josiah Adrian Perez.
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"I sure do miss her. I'd give my life to her just to bring her and my son back," Perez said.
Perez said Pimentel was picking him up from work in Dallas to return to his home in Midlothian. He doesn't remember the crash, but recalls waking up on the road and seeing Pimentel on the ground and injured.
"I ended up crawling to her. The next thing you know she said, 'I love you,' and just keep your head up," said Perez. "I was promising her nothing would happen."
He said she was talking for a few minutes, but slipped away when the ambulance arrived. Perez and Pimentel were taken to separate hospitals. Perez said he later learned doctors delivered their son, but the baby only survived a couple of minutes.
Wednesday afternoon, Pimentel's parents issued the following statement:
We are currently shaken and saddened by the tragic events that occurred today. Alyssa was our one and only daughter carrying our grandson with their whole lives ahead of them. We are very disappointed with the fact that an individual who is tasked with saving lives is responsible for taking the lives of our family members. As you can imagine, our grief right now is immeasurable. We are aware that there is an investigation into the accident and we trust that the authorities will be diligent in seeking justice for Alyssa and Baby Josiah. We would appreciate privacy during this process and we ask the public for their prayers for our family as we grieve.
Respectfully,
Joe & Jayne Pimentel
Shaw and a passenger in his Mercedes were taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life threatening.
According to the arrest affidavit, in the Mercedes, officers found an empty metal flask smelling of alcohol. The passenger in Shaw's vehicle told police they had been drinking at Thibodeaux's in Dallas and that Shaw was "speeding a little bit" before the crash. When asked by police if Shaw was showing off, the passenger said, "yes."
Shaw was taken to Methodist Central Hospital and declined to speak with investigators without an attorney. He was later booked into the Dallas County Jail and was released Thursday after posting $75,000 bond, Dallas County records show.
Cedar Hill police said additional charges may be filed against Shaw after further discussion with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.
"Our sincerest condolences go out to Ms. Pimentel's family and friends for their losses. We are also mindful of her passenger and his family," Cedar Hill police said in a statement.
The firefighter will be on leave pending the results of an internal investigation, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue Department Spokesman Jason Evans.
Horace Shaw Arrest Warrant Affidavit
NBC 5's Frank Heinz, Brian Roth and Diana Zoga contributed to this report.
