13-year-old killed, mother injured after SUV hit by suspected drunken driver in Garland

A 30-year-old Frisco man is accused of being drunk when his pickup truck slammed head-on into a sport utility vehicle in Garland, killing a 13-year-old girl and critically injuring her mother.

A friend of the teen also was injured in the fatal crash, which occurred about 5 p.m. Friday.

Garland police identified the suspect as Jeremy Spencer, who was arrested shortly after the fatal wreck.

Spencer, who was taken to a local hospital, faces charges of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury.

Garland police responded to the major crash Friday afternoon on northbound Castle Drive near Toler Road.

Traffic investigators believe a black Dodge pickup truck, driven by Spencer, was traveling northbound on Castle Drive when it crossed the center median and collided head-on with an SUV, which was traveling southbound, then catching fire.

Garland police reported the teen was pronounced dead on Saturday. Her mother was critically injured.

WFAA-TV identified the girl as Brooklyn Moran, an eighth-grader at Hudson Middle School in Sachse.

A coach spoke highly of the teen, who was a member of the Dallas Texans 09G ECRL soccer team.

“Brooklyn was a tremendous athlete. Her name is Brooklyn, guys, what do we call her? Mighty. She’s mighty,” head coach Jon Patterson told WFAA.

Patterson said the 13-year-old’s friend was also in the car but is doing OK, according to WFAA-TV.

An investigation of the crash continues.