Fiery Northwest Side head-on collision leaves one dead, two injured

A man may be charged with murder after a fiery head-on collision Thursday afternoon killed one woman and left two others seriously injured on the Northwest Side, police said.

At about 6 p.m., a 26-year-old man drove his SUV into the oncoming lane in the 6800 block of Babcock Road and struck another SUV, said Officer Alisia Pruneda, a San Antonio police spokeswoman.

“There’s evidence and info that leads us to believe there was intent that he went into the lane of travel of the vehicles,” Pruneda said.

A 19-year-old woman, a 15-year-old girl and a 40-year-old woman were in the other SUV, police said.

The impact caused the vehicle carrying the women and the girl to burst into flames. Officials said the blaze was extinguished by San Antonio firefighters.

“I don’t think that it’s road rage as much as it’s carelessness,” Pruneda said of the incident.

Witnesses told police the man tried to run away after the collision, but was quickly apprehended. He remains in police custody as of Thursday night, Pruneda said.

Bystanders and first responders managed to pull the 15-year-old girl and 40-year-old woman out of the SUV. They were taken to University Hospital in serious condition.

The 19-year-old woman died at the scene, Pruneda said.

The man was treated at the scene for injuries and could face a murder charge as the investigation continues, she said.

Babcock was shut down between Spring Rain and Spring Ridge Drive as police investigate the accident.