Tyler police on Tuesday afternoon identified four teenagers who died Sunday in a car crash on Highway 31 East following a police pursuit that began in Tyler. The crash resulted from a chase initiated after officers responded to a shooting incident earlier that morning.
The deceased were identified by the Tyler Police Department as Jaffet Cuarenta, a 17-year-old male from Tyler; Adrielle Vazquez, a 17-year-old male from Tyler; and Emigdio Gutierrez, a 17-year-old male from Tyler. The fourth occupant, a 15-year-old juvenile from Smith County, was not publicly named. Three of the individuals were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, while the fourth was transported to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead.
The events leading to the crash began around 3:43 a.m. Sunday morning, when Tyler Police Department officers responded to a suspicious noise call in the 1500 block of Lake Placid Road. The caller reported hearing gunshots and described a suspect vehicle as a 2009 Nissan coupe. Approximately 15 minutes after the initial call, the police department received notification from a local hospital that staff were treating two victims with gunshot wounds who were connected to the Lake Placid Road incident, according to Tyler PD.
Officers investigating the shooting incident later observed a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle. When officers attempted to make contact with the vehicle, it drove away from the area, prompting officers to begin a pursuit through the city, the Tyler Police Department reported. The suspect vehicle continued onto Highway 31 East, traveling at a high rate of speed.
As the pursuit moved outside of Tyler city limits, troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) joined the chase. According to the Tyler Police Department, DPS was required to use a “PIT maneuver to bring” the “high-speed, dangerous pursuit” to an end. The Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver, is a driving tactic employed by law enforcement to safely stop a fleeing vehicle by causing it to turn abruptly and lose control.
The two victims injured in the shooting on Lake Placid Road sustained non-life-threatening injuries. They have been identified as a 17-year-old male from Tyler and an 18-year-old female from Smith County. The police department stated that their names are being withheld at this time.
Both the shooting and the crash remain open cases and are actively under investigation. Tyler Police Department investigators are handling the shooting inquiry, while Texas Department of Public Safety accident investigators and the Texas Rangers are involved in the crash investigation.
