A Texas lawsuit is seeking more than $1 million in damages following a test drive of a Dodge Challenger that resulted in a fatal crash at 124 mph.
On June 7 in Odessa, TX, Benjamin Meece, 37, was test driving a 2021 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack with dealership salesman Kenneth Salas. They were in the 4800 block of East University Drive when the Challenger approached an intersection. At the same time, Quma Carrillo, 47, driving her 2005 Honda Accord westbound on East University, attempted to turn left onto Oakwood Drive.
According to the lawsuit, the Dodge Challenger slammed into the Honda Accord while traveling nearly three times the posted speed limit of 45 mph. Data from the Challenger showed the car had 100% throttle and reached speeds up to 124 miles per hour.
The lawsuit alleges Salas, representing Lithia Motors' All American Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Odessa, should have prevented Meece from driving recklessly. The lawsuit further claims Salas had a reputation for permitting dangerous test drives of high-performance vehicles, citing a 2022 online comment where Salas mentioned having "a hell of a test drive" in a Ford Mustang Shelby.
The collision resulted in the ejection and death of Carrillo, who was a mother of two. Her daughter, Natasha Hitchcock, discovered her mother's body at the scene while on her way to get coffee. Meece fled the scene but was later found hiding under plywood in a nearby backyard. Both Meece and Salas sustained injuries from the crash.
Meece has since been charged with collision involving death, aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and manslaughter.
Records indicate Meece has been arrested more than 25 times since 2005 for various charges, including reckless driving. The plaintiffs in the case, represented by Zehl & Associates, argue both Meece and Salas, along with Lithia Motors, should be held accountable for the fatal accident.
The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Ector County, Texas: Natasha Hitchcock, et al., v. Lithia CJDO, Inc., Benjamin Meece, and Kenneth Salas.
