Gabriel Salazar, TikTok Star, Dead at 19 After Police Chase
TikTok star Gabriel Salazar, who has over 2.2 million followers on the social media site and over 840,000 followers on Instagram, died in a car crash in Texas that killed three other people in the early morning hours of Sept. 26. Police pulled Salazar, 19, over at about 1:20 a.m. in Zavala County, about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio. Authorities are reportedly investigating the crash as a human smuggling attempt, reports the San Antonio Express-News. The three other victims were Mexican nationals.
It's not clear why Crystal City, Texas police stopped Salazar, who was driving a white Chevy Camaro on Highway 83, at first, reports NBC News. The officer who stopped Salazar reported he was pursuing Salazar, and a deputy joined him. They tried to use a tire deflation device, but it was unsuccessful. during the chase, the Camaro drove off the road, "over-corrected, and traveled across the roadway, onto the west barrow ditch," according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The vehicle then hit trees, rolled over, and then caught on fire. The Zavala County Sheriff's Office released a photo showing the car in flames in a ditch.
On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations confirmed to the Express-News it is investigating the crash s a human smuggling attempt. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) listed Salazar's three passengers as undocumented foreigners, and there are no separate traffic safety and criminal investigations into the crash, law enforcement sources told the outlet. "Yeah, it's a smuggling situation is what it looks like," a source told the Express-News. "We've had smuggling crashes in Del Rio and by Eagle Pass, Uvalde, but the majority are there in Carrizo (Springs) and Crystal City, along (U.S.) 83 all the way down to (Asherton)."
The other victims of the crash were identified as Jose Luis Jimenez-Mora, 41; Jose Molina-Lara, 23; and Sergio Espinoza Flores, 36. Salazar's family has not commented on his death. He lived in San Antonio and published his last Instagram post on Sept. 24. The pictures showed him posing in front of a white Chevy Camaro.
A friend of Salazar's family established a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $38,000 to help his family. "Gabriel loved his family and was always horsing around with her sister and little brother. He was always there with a big hug and smile, and his family will never forget those warm moments. He was so funny with a quiet sense of humor and sarcasm. I cannot believe that I am sitting here writing this. How is this real life?" the page reads. "Words cannot express the heartbreak our entire community is feeling from the loss of our Gabriel. Your family and friends miss you."