Texas Fire Department Blamed for Motorcycle Deaths

Were the fire truck’s warning lights on or not? That seems to be the question in the aftermath of an accident last Friday night when a motorcycle struck a West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department vehicle at the scene of a previous accident on I20.

Ruben Contreras, 24, and Samantha Escamilla, 21, were killed and their families claim that four witnesses say the fire trucks lights were off at the time of the accident.

Attorney Domingo Garcia, who represents Contreras’s family was quoted as saying “I think these families deserve better answers. They wanna make sure this never happens again, that those that are responsible are held accountable.”
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Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland had a different take, based on police reports that the vehicle had its warning lights on. He is refusing to act on Garcia’s demands that criminal charges be brought against the firefighters, stating: “We looked at the evidence we had and based on the evidence, I and the DPS both agreed that there were no criminal charges that should stem from this. They were acting in their lawful capacity.”