Two families are grieving after a wrong-way crash in Arlington killed two people, including a pregnant woman.
The crash happened on Matlock Road near Stephens Street around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Family members confirm the driver going the wrong way was 27-year-old Tristan Bustillos, who was also killed.
Bustillos’ mother Shanna told NBC 5 described youngest son as a loving father and husband. He was coming home from coaching, she said.
“Last night, he had gone to a practice that he really hadn’t planned on going to, but he had volunteered to go coach another boy’s soccer team and he was on his way home,” Bustillos said. “Wasn’t drunk, wasn’t a drinker. We just don’t know.”
Bustillos’ car collided head-on with a SUV, carrying 27-year-old Ashley Medina Bare and her mother. Bare died from her injuries, while her mother remains hospitalized as of Friday.
Bare’s husband Christian spoke with NBC 5 Friday, describing her as the love of his life.
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“She was a great teacher, cheer coach, wife, daughter, friend,” he said. “She was about five months pregnant with our baby boy. I know they’re up in heaven and she’s just being mom from up there, watching down on us now.”
Bare said his wife was on her way to visit her grandmother.
“That really lets you know Ashley’s character. She had work the next day and she was out late visiting her grandma, which she didn’t have to and it’s understandable that she was pregnant and tired and coming from a long day,” he said. “We met when we were just teenagers. Asking her to dance and her phone number was the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Bare.
Lt. Christopher Cook with the Arlington Police Department said video surveillance indicates Bare and her mother had no time to react before their car was slammed head-on, though it unclears exactly how and why Bustillo ended up on the wrong side of the road.
The collision resulted in a chain-reaction, involving four cars total. Occupants in the other two cars were treated for minor injuries at the scene, Cook said.
“There were no obvious signs of alcohol use. We don’t have alcohol containers, stuff like that. So, we just don’t know if it was an impairment, a medical issue, maybe the driver was experiencing a distraction in the vehicle, we just don’t know those answers yet,” Cook said. “Our hearts go out to everyone. We know there’s a lot of families impacted. We had a lot of passerby’s that wanted to help. They had to see this horrible scene. It’s just really sad.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Bustillo.
Bare says his mother-in-law is scheduled to have another surgery on Monday.
