Injured woman dies after Texas drag race crash that killed 2 boys: "It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen"
A third person injured when a drag racer veered into a crowd and crashed during a racing event in central Texas has died, police said Wednesday.
Rebecca Cedillo, 46, of Converse, a San Antonio suburb, died at University Hospital in San Antonio, Kerrville police Sgt. Jonathan Lamb said. Two boys, ages 6 and 8, died the day of the crash Saturday at Kerrville-Kerr County Airport, but police were withholding their names.
The crash happened as the driver, Michael Gonzales, was racing his 1990 Ford Mustang and began to lose control halfway down the 1/8-mile track laid out on one of the airport runways, police said. The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching.
The vehicle struck multiple spectators before hitting a trailer and coming to a stop.
In addition to the three people who died, the crash injured seven people, including Gonzales. One of the individuals who was hospitalized, Mary Kate Walls, 27, of Taylor, an Austin suburb, had improved from critical to fair condition on Wednesday, according to a University Hospital spokeswoman.
Messages seeking updates on Gonzales, 34, and another man were not immediately returned.
The airport is about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio. Thousands attended the organized event, which involved drivers speeding down a runway as they competed for cash.
CBS affiliate KENS-TV reported that a candlelight memorial was held for the victims of the crash on Wednesday evening. Autumn Pinder, who came to the vigil, told the station that she and her children were also at the drag race, which billed itself as a family-friendly affair.
"It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen," she said.
The young mother said the horrifying sights and sounds of when the driver lost control and struck spectators are stuck in her mind.
"It just hits really close to home when you have your own kids," she said.
