Daughter defends Houston woman blamed for head-on crash that killed 6 NW of Corpus

The Texas DPS says Veronica Lopez of Houston drove into oncoming traffic to try to pass a vehicle in a no-passing zone.

LIVE OAK COUNTY, Texas — Six people were killed and five were hurt in a horrible crash northwest of Corpus Christi over the weekend. 

A driver from Houston caused the crash on US Highway 59 in Live Oak County Friday night, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. 

Investigators said 39-year-old Xochitl Veronica Lopez was heading southwest when she drove her Chrysler van into oncoming traffic to try to pass a vehicle in a no-passing zone. She slammed head-on into a Suburban. 

Lopez and her 12-year-old daughter Sulema died in the crash. Two other children in the van, a 5-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, were taken to the hospital with broken bones, according to family members.

Three people in the Suburban — Salvador Almeda Mendoza, 47, Ilda Briones Nieves, 58 and Honorio Lazo Navarro, 74 — were also killed. They were from Ganado, southwest of El Campo. 

An unidentified passenger in a Nissan Altima that crashed into the back of the Suburban also died at the scene. 

Along with Lopez’s younger children, three other people were taken to Christus Spohn Hospital in Beeville with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Family devastated

Lopez’s daughter, Kimberly Reyes, said her mom and three siblings were on the way to Nuevo Laredo in Mexico to visit family.

Reyes told KHOU 11 that Lopez “wouldn’t put anyone in danger and would never put her kids in danger.”

She described her mom as a wonderful person who was always helping others.

“A great friend; did everything in her power to help you even if she didn’t know you; an extremely giant heart,” Reyes said. “She’s just an amazing person.”

Reyes described Sulema as an energetic 7th grader at Marshall Middle School who loved meeting people and “was friends with everyone.”

Lopez was also grandmother to a 3-month-old and 4-year-old.

The crash remains under investigation.

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