17-Year-Old Jailed in 4-Car Crash That Killed 2 Relatives

Garland police jailed a 17-year-old driver Thursday after a four-car pile up Wednesday night that killed two members of his family.

Adalberto Jonathan Rivera is charged with failing to stop and render aid, a seconnd-degree felony, for allegedly running from the crash scene.

He was arrested at an apartment Thursday where the victims — later identified as 18-year-old Yene Rivera and her 4-year-old daughter Sophia — lived. Relatives said Adalberto Rivera was Yene's brother-in-law.

"We never imagined something like this would happen," Yene's aunt Esmeralda Rivera said. [[375665151,C]]

Garland police said Adalberto Rivera was driving a Ford Mustang that witnesses saw driving erratically at about 11 p.m. Wednesday. The car stopped on southbound Interstate 635 near the exit to La Prada Drive before three more cars piled into it.

Four other members of the Rivera family — including Yene and Sophia Rivera — were in the third car in that crash, a Saturn. Garland police said two other people in the Saturn were listed in stable condition Thursday. 

2 Dead, 3 Injured in 4-Vehicle Crash on I-635: Garland Police

"My understanding is that the Saturn and Mustang were driving together," Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau said. "Now what led to the erratic driving,  that is still an ongoing investigation."

Barineau said Adalberto Rivera has no Texas drivers license. Garland police arrested the teen in the 4900 block of South Buckner Boulevard in Dallas Thursday afternoon and booked him into the Garland jail. The Mustang had temporary paper tags.

A 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old female were identified as the other people with Adalberto Rivera at the time of the crash. Police said the other teens also ran from the scene, but were not charged.

NBC 5's Meredith Yeomans contributed to this report.