Fiery crash that claimed man's life was preventable

Driver was released on traffic warrants
Records show failure to appear on $3,000 fines

Reporting By R.S. Gates
Story by The Legendary Jim Parks

Waco – McLennan County Jail authorities released a woman who later rear-ended a car on W. Waco Drive on outstanding warrants for more than $3,000 in traffic fines involving a failure to appear in municipal court, records show.

According to booking cards obtained through a public information act request, Miranda Monique Campbell, 28, who also goes by the name Miranda Jones, walked out of McLennan County Jail the day before Waco police apprehended her twice in disturbance calls while behind the wheel on February 3.

She later drove her Mercury Mountaineer SUV to a fiery crash with the Ford Ranger pickup driven by Isidro Pech Que, 40, of Mexico. The accident claimed Mr. Que's life after the pickup burst into flames.

Investigators estimated the SUV was traveling at speeds as high as 130 miles per hour just prior to the collision.

Officers had stopped her car twice before as she traveled down W. Waco Dr., but did not take her into custody prior to the collision.

Following a report of a disturbance at 6:30 p.m. On Feb. 3, officers released Ms. Campbell and her companion Cindy Ann Murray, 39, following a confrontation in the lobby of police headquarters on W. 4th St.

They stopped the vehicle twice more as it traveled down W. Waco Dr. to its deadly rendevous with the vehicle driven by Mr. Que.

Neither of the women were injured in the collision.

Ms. Campbell had been released from the County Jail the day before on the authority of Municipal Judge Taylor where she had been jailed for failure to satisfy an array of traffic and other charges involving a total of $3,000 in fines.