A Texas family is living through every parent’s worst nightmare after a car slammed into their home before sunrise, killing a mother and her 7-year-old son.
Barbara Rocha and her young son, Alex Rocha, were killed early Sunday morning, March 22, after a vehicle crashed into their home in Stephenville, according to local reports. The tragedy happened at around 3:26 a.m. in the 200 block of North Ollie Street, where police said a vehicle left the roadway and plowed straight into the residence.
When first responders got there, they found multiple injured people and rushed them to a nearby hospital. Despite efforts to save them, an adult woman and a young boy were pronounced dead. They were later identified as Barbara and Alex.
The horrifying crash left Barbara’s older son, Alfredo Rocha, with memories he says will never leave him. He told CBS affiliate KTVT that he heard his little brother crying out from the wreckage.
“All I hear is Alex’s voice. He’s all like, ‘Help me, help me,’” Alfredo recalled.
He also said he heard his mother speak what would become her final words — a prayer in Spanish: “The blood of Christ can do anything.”
The driver was identified by police as 18-year-old Gracie Yates. Authorities said she was arrested at the scene and charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide. According to Erath County Jail records, she was released on Tuesday, March 24, after posting a $29,000 bond. It is not clear whether she has a lawyer.
Police say the investigation is still ongoing.
The Rocha family says their lives have been shattered by the loss. Alfredo told KTVT the pain is impossible to put into words.
“We’re never going to see them again, but it’s something that we’re going to have to deal with,” he said.
Barbara’s son Raul Rocha also spoke about the devastating loss, remembering his mother as a loving woman who cared deeply for everyone around her.
“My mom does not deserve this,” Raul told KDFW. “She was so sweet. She always cared about us. She cared about anybody around her.”
He said one of the hardest things to accept is that he will never get to watch his little brother grow up.
“The thing I’m going to miss, whenever I go visit, he comes up and hugs me and says, ‘I missed you,’” Raul said. “I’m never going to get that again.”
A friend of Barbara’s husband has since launched a GoFundMe to help the grieving family cover funeral expenses and find temporary housing as they try to rebuild after the crash.
In the fundraiser, the organizer said the family’s pain is beyond words.
“The shock and pain of this loss are unimaginable,” the message said. “Now he’s left to pick up the pieces of his life while grieving for those he loved most.”
The friend added, “His life will never be the same.”
