Police say a stolen SUV slammed into another vehicle and pinned a man against a tree in Old East Dallas.
DALLAS, Texas — A 25-year-old man is facing murder and robbery charges after Dallas police said he forced a woman from her vehicle Thursday evening, sped away through East Dallas and crashed into another car, killing a pedestrian on a nearby sidewalk.
Authorities said the case quickly turned from a robbery call into a fatal crash investigation, leaving one man dead, a suspect hospitalized and neighbors shaken by what witnesses described as a chaotic and fast-moving scene. The arrest of Tyrell Jones came after police said a carjacking near North Collett Avenue and Live Oak Street ended only blocks later when the stolen vehicle struck another car and pushed both vehicles onto a sidewalk.
According to police and witness accounts, the episode began shortly before 5:30 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of North Collett Avenue and Live Oak Street. Investigators said Jones appeared to be running in the street before approaching a passing driver in a purple Kia Sorrento. Witnesses said he stumbled in the roadway, drawing the attention of the driver, who slowed and stopped. Police said Jones then tried more than once to get inside the vehicle. After the driver tried to pull away, investigators said, he climbed through the window, forced her out and took off. Nearby resident Gina Carpio said the driver was honking and screaming for help as the struggle unfolded. “It was the craziest drive you’ve ever seen,” Carpio said, describing the seconds after the vehicle sped away.
Police said Jones did not get far. The stolen SUV traveled north and, within blocks, crashed in the 1200 block of North Collett Avenue near Swiss Avenue. Investigators said the stolen vehicle hit a Toyota that had been stopped at a stop sign. The force of the collision shoved both vehicles about 100 feet, according to local reporting that cited the arrest affidavit, carrying them through the intersection and onto the sidewalk. Jose Avila, who was on foot nearby, was caught in the path of the wreckage and pinned between the vehicles and a tree, authorities said. Emergency crews took Avila to a hospital, where he later died. Jones and the other driver were also taken for medical treatment. Police have not publicly described the full extent of the survivors’ injuries.
The affidavit described a sequence that suggested witnesses believed Jones was impaired, saying he appeared intoxicated on unknown drugs before the carjacking. Police have not announced any toxicology results, and it remains unclear whether investigators intend to add any charges tied to alleged impairment. The arrest record made public Friday listed Jones in the Dallas County Jail on murder and robbery charges. No bond had been set as of the latest reports. Authorities also have not released more detail about the woman whose vehicle was taken beyond the account laid out in the arrest paperwork. Her name had not been made public, and police had not said whether she was physically injured during the struggle.
The case stands out because the fatality came not during a prolonged pursuit, but almost immediately after the alleged carjacking. In a matter of minutes, a stop by a concerned driver turned into a violent confrontation, then a deadly crash that reached a bystander who had no connection to the original encounter. For residents in Old East Dallas, the scene left a stark trail of damage stretching from the first intersection to the crash site a few blocks away. By Friday, the roadway still showed signs of the impact and of efforts by medics to save Avila. Neighbors who spoke publicly said the randomness of the death made the case especially hard to absorb.
The legal path ahead is likely to focus first on the existing charges. Murder charges in Texas can be filed when prosecutors allege a person caused a death during the commission of certain dangerous acts or felonies, and robbery counts can accompany the taking of a vehicle by force. Court records available in news reports did not yet show a bond for Jones, and police had not announced any first court date in public statements carried Friday. Investigators also have not said whether surveillance video from the area, including footage reportedly showing Jones in the street before the carjacking, will become part of the court case. The arrest affidavit is expected to remain central in the early stages as prosecutors outline how the initial street encounter led to Avila’s death.
Witnesses described a scene that moved faster than many could process. Carpio said she and the driver could only watch as the stolen SUV lurched away. Another neighbor near the crash site told local television he was overcome by the loss of life once he understood what had happened. The combination of a broad-daylight struggle, a reckless getaway and a death on the sidewalk gave the case an unusually public and jarring arc. Police had not announced any additional arrests, and there was no indication Friday that anyone else was suspected of involvement. Investigators continued piecing together the moments between the first contact with the driver and the crash that killed Avila.
As of Saturday, Jones remained jailed on murder and robbery charges, and police had released no new public update on bond, additional evidence or a scheduled court appearance. The next milestone is expected to come when the case enters the Dallas County court process and prosecutors formally move it forward.
Author note: Last updated April 18, 2026.