A man faces charges after he stole a car at a gas station and caused a crash that left a woman dead when she was ejected from the vehicle early Sunday morning, according to the Dallas Police Department.
The fatal incident happened around 12:50 a.m. in the 1300 block of Murdock Road. Authorities said they responded to the Pleasant Grove neighborhood after getting reports of a kidnapping and a major crash.
Upon arriving at the scene, they found Karen Mariela Cardona lying in the middle of the road with obvious blunt-force injuries. Darion Thomas, 26, was also found lying in the grass near the crash site.
First responders arrived shortly after and tried to save Cardona's life, but she ultimately died at the scene from her injuries.
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The Dallas Police Department revealed Monday that the incident was initially considered a carjacking, but later found out that Thomas stole the car when three people stopped at a gas station.
An affidavit released by the agency contained a statement from Thomas, who reported that he was inside the Fox Gas Station in the 100 block of Murdock Road. He mentioned seeing two people entering the business, the driver and passenger of a 2018 Black Honda Accord.
The car's owner told police Cardona was still inside the vehicle and lying down in the backseat. Thomas told detectives he then went outside to see if the individuals had left their car running, and once he found it, he stole it.
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According to police, Cardona was alerted by Thomas when the car started moving, and Thomas proceeded to speed up and drove recklessly once Cardona started yelling at him.
Thomas claimed in the police affidavit that he drove around a curve on Murdock Road at about 260 mph and lost control of the car. The vehicle then crashed into a power pole about a mile away from the gas station, and both Thomas and Cardona were ejected from it.
Mireya Diaz told NBC 5 that her cousins heard the crash and ran to help before discovering the gruesome scene on the road.
"Unfortunately, the lady had already passed away. The guy was alive," said Diaz. "She was bleeding out of her head, and the guy had a broken leg or something."
The affidavit said Thomas told a witness who discovered the crash that he broke his legs and stole the car because he needed a ride to work. He also asked the witness for a gun to kill himself.
Thomas was arrested and taken to Baylor Hospital after receiving injuries in the wreck, police said. He is charged with first-degree murder and theft in the death of Karen Mariela Cardona.
Surveillance video shows moments of fiery crash
New surveillance video obtained by NBC 5 from a neighbor’s doorbell camera showed an allegedly stolen car speeding down Murdock Road before losing control in a fiery crash.
“He was speeding so fast we could literally hear it,” a witness told NBC 5. “So when the car crashed, it was just the loudest sound ever.”
“I said whoever was in the vehicle, are they okay? [My daughter] said no mom, there is a woman dead in the street,” said the witness.
The witness said the aftermath of the wreck was horrific. It was made worse when they found out the woman killed was an innocent victim of an alleged carjacking.
“It’s very emotional for me because I have young daughters and they drive, and it’s just hard,” the witness said. “You know, I worry about them and their safety.”
People living in the neighborhood said car thefts and drivers going through that area at high speed have been a constant concern. Some neighbors hoped to see justice done after this fatal crash.
“I give my condolences to the family because it’s very emotional to just have your vehicle stolen, now your family member is deceased,” the witness said.
NBC 5 learned that Cardona had only been in Dallas for about a year and was providing for her two young daughters in Honduras.
Thomas is booked in the Dallas County Jail with a $1,005,000 bond.
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