Corpus Christi Police Department

CORPUS CHRISTI - (News Release) At approximately 11:24 am on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, Officers were dispatched to the intersection of North Broadway St and East Port Avenue for a major traffic accident involving a single vehicle. Updates to the call provided that victims were trapped in the vehicle.

Upon arrival, officers located that a white in color Chevrolet Camaro was flipped on its roof and had three occupants trapped in the vehicle. Two 18-year-old male occupants were pronounced deceased on scene. Firefighters with Corpus Christi Fire Department arrived on scene and were able to extract the driver of the vehicle and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

After a thorough investigation, Corpus Christi Police Department Traffic Investigators were able to gather enough information to warrant that the Camaro, being driven by 18-year-old Hector Martinez, was in the act of racing another vehicle at the time of the crash. The other vehicle, a blue in color Ford Mustang, was driven by 18-year-old Juan Cortez, who remained on scene and was interviewed by Investigators.

Traffic Investigators requested and were granted two arrest warrants for Martinez and Cortez. Both Martinez and Cortez are being charged with Racing on a Highway; because this criminal act resulted in death, the charge is upgraded to a second degree felony.

On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at approximately 9:13 am, patrol officers located the whereabouts of, and took 18-year-old Hector Martinez into custody for the outstanding warrant for Racing on a Highway ($30,000 bond). Martinez was arrested on the 200 block of Richard Street. Martinez was arrested without incident and was transported to the City Detention Center for processing.

Cortez still has an active warrant for Racing on a Highway ($30,000 bond). Cortez is still outstanding.