Three Denton-area teenagers were killed on New Year’s Day shortly before midnight when the driver of a sedan traveling at a high rate of speed crashed into a traffic barrier in the 1800 block of North Loop 288.

Alvarez

Two of the passengers, Adrian Alvarez, 18, and Fernando Cuevas, 19, died immediately on impact, according to officials, and a 16-year-old passenger died later after being taken by helicopter ambulance to Methodist Medical Center in Dallas.

Three other teens — including the 19-year-old male driver of the car — were injured in the accident and are being treated at area hospitals.

Cuevas

One of the passengers, a 16-year-old girl, was ejected from the vehicle through the rear window, officials said.

Another passenger, a 17-year-old girl, is being treated at Denton Regional Medical Center for a broken leg, officials said.

A state trooper told police that he clocked the sedan going 78 mph in a 50-mph zone shortly before the accident and was turning around to pull the vehicle over when the right front of the car struck a traffic barrier, said Officer Mark King, lead traffic investigator on the accident.

“The right side of the vehicle was badly damaged, and the car was crushed to the middle console,” King said.

A preliminary traffic report on skid marks revealed that the car had sped up after the trooper clocked the teenagers and reached a speed of more than 100 mph prior to impact, King said.

There was evidence of alcohol in the car, including the smell of alcohol and an alcoholic beverage container, he said.

Police are waiting on toxicology tests to determine whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, he said, and he possibly could face criminal charges.

Alvarez’s family said they found out he died in the accident at 2 a.m. Saturday.

The last time family members saw the 18-year-old was earlier in the evening, when he said he was going out with his friends, said Eric Ortega, his uncle.

The teenager had recently decided to enroll at Winfree Academy Charter School in Denton to earn his high school diploma and better his 2-year-old son’s life, Ortega said.

Alvarez enjoyed watching the Dallas Cowboys whenever he could and liked to play football video games with his 12-year-old cousin, his family said.

Alvarez’s mother died from cancer four years ago, and he had been the strong one for his two younger sisters and his large extended family, said Nancy Ortega, his aunt.

“He had such a hard life and he was so strong for everyone,” she said. “He’s been such a strong kid since his mother passed away.”

Cuevas was going to surprise his fiancee with a large wedding and the two were preparing for the birth of their second son, according to his family members.

“He was saving up for a big wedding. … It was going to be a birthday surprise for her,” said his sister, Lisvet Cuevas.

He leaves behind a 10-month-old son; his parents, Delfino and Juana Cuevas; and a large extended family, according to family members.

For his sister, Maribel Cuevas, 17, it will be difficult being apart from the brother she grew so close to throughout her childhood.

“We grew up together and he was always with me,” she said.

It was the second fatal accident on North Loop 288 in the past 30 days.

On Dec. 6, a driver was instantly killed after striking another vehicle during the early morning hours; the passenger died later. Both men were 21.

There are some commonalities in the two accidents, both being late-night or early-morning accidents with young drivers and speed being a factor, said Denton police Capt. Lenn Carter.

“I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the loop or what the drivers are doing,” he said. “There was not a lot of traffic at the times of the accidents, so traffic is not a problem; it’s driver-related error. It’s about drivers paying attention to the speed limit.”

Officer Scott Burson, a traffic investigator working the Friday case, said that construction is complete on that portion of the loop and the traffic barriers and equipment have been removed, leaving an open road for speeders.

The newly completed portion of the roadway — especially the portion where the Dec. 6 accident occurred — is difficult to patrol because the new section lacks posted speed limits, which officials are still trying to determine, Burson said.

“We’re kind of in no man’s land,” he said.

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com.