Investigators: Twice-deported man on drugs kills Houston teen, injures her dad in crash
HOUSTON, Texas -- The Baez family was headed to the movies on Sunday when the unimaginable happened.
"We were on the way, and we just stopped at that light," Nicole Baez said.
The incident occurred at Westpark and Dunvale in Houston, as Nicole Baez was in the backseat with her 17-year-old sister, Britney Baez.
"I just remember sitting down on the sidewalk, my mom was still screaming my sister's name," Nicole said. "I can hear my dad asking for water. I could sort of see people around me. That's when my arm started killing me."
Police say the car driven by Edy Lopez-Hernandez crashed into them.
Nicole's arm was fractured, and her father was critically injured and is still in the ICU. Britney Baez was killed.
"She was the level-headed one that knew how to keep everybody calm, and she was the voice of reasoning," cousin Nancy Gomez said.
Lopez-Hernandez now faces four charges, including murder.
"I can never replace her with anyone else, and I'm not going to," Nicole said. "I will always remember her."
Investigators say Lopez-Hernandez was on drugs when he crashed into the Baez's car. A law enforcement source said he was going 70 miles per hour and didn't use his brakes.
Records show Lopez-Hernandez was deported twice before.
After the crash, police say he grabbed his 2-year-old child out of the car and ran down the street before someone stopped him.
The Baez family hopes this is a lesson to others to think twice before getting behind the wheel while under the influence.
"He's not only damaged our family, we're experiencing this loss, but I'm sure he's affected his family as well," Gomez said.
They have set up a GoFundMe to pay for medical and funeral expenses. Now, they're trying to cope with the loss of a young woman who always made them smile.
"We're going to always think of you and you're going to always be in our hearts," Gomez said.
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