Man killed by car on icy Arlington highway; DWI suspect almost hit cops at scene: police

A 64-year-old Grand Prairie man died early Friday after he was hit by a vehicle as he stood near his 2019 Toyota 4Runner on Texas 360 in Arlington, authorities said.

An Arlington man who police suspect was intoxicated was arrested after he later crashed his Jeep into a vehicle involved in the fatal wreck on Texas 360, police said in a news release. Multiple officers and a tow truck driver who were in the roadway were able to get out of the way of the Jeep.

Arlington police identified the suspected drunken driver as 53-year-old Gabriel Bocanegra. He faces charges of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.

The man killed in the first crash was 64-year-old Asanberg Clement Asongwe, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office website. He was pronounced dead at 2:21 a.m. Friday at an Arlington hospital.

Arlington police responded to the initial crash just after 11:30 p.m. Thursday on southbound State Highway 360 near Mayfield Road.

When they arrived, police found Asongwe lying unresponsive in the roadway.

Investigators learned Asongwe was driving a 2019 Toyota 4Runner southbound along Texas 360 — then, for an unknown reason, he stopped in the far right lane and got out of his SUV.

At about that time, a 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage traveling southbound in the far right lane of Texas 360 was coming over a hill. When the driver of the Mirage saw the 4Runner stopped in front of him, he tried to brake and avoid the SUV, police said.

However, due to the slick road conditions, the Mirage slid, sideswiped the 4Runner, and hit Asongwe.

Police said the driver of the Mirage eventually came to a stop and immediately called 911. He remained on scene until first responders arrived. He is not facing any criminal charges in connection to the fatal wreck, police said.

Police temporarily shut down the southbound lanes of Texas 360 at Mayfield Road so that officers could investigate and crews could clear the wreck.

During that time, a black Jeep driving without its headlights on went around the patrol vehicles blocking the roadway and continued southbound on Texas 360, police said.

The Jeep then collided with the 4Runner while several officers and a tow truck driver were in the roadway. The officers and the tow truck driver managed to get out of the way and no one was injured.

The driver of the Jeep was later identified as Bocanegra, who was taken into custody.

The accident was one of at least three in Tarrant County with fatalities late Thursday night or early Friday morning as road conditions worsened during refreezing overnight.