Stephenville picks up the pieces after police say young driver crashes into local home

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY

Feature Editor

On the dawn of a once quiet Sunday morning, tragedy struck near the intersection of North Ollie and West Green Streets in Stephenville.

According to a press release from the Stephenville Police Department, officers responded at approximately 3:26 a.m. to a report of a vehicle that had veered off the road, crashing into a Stephenville home as its residents were still sleeping.

Multiple people were found injured inside the house. Despite life-saving efforts from the local fire department and Erath County EMS, an adult female and a juvenile male were pronounced dead.

The driver, identified as 18-year-old Gracie Lane Yates, is being held on two counts of criminally negligent homicide following Sunday’s incident. According to police, she has no prior adult criminal history on record in Erath County 

In a split second, a road regularly passed on the way to class or work became the graveyard of a once standing home with investigators surrounding rubble wrapped in orange caution tape.

While not even legal drinking age herself, Yates has faced backlash on social media from outraged members of the community who assume that she had been intoxicated while behind the wheel.

“In these types of investigations, they can get frustrating because they’re not fast… we utlilize a lot of experts” Captain Jeremy Lanier, of the Stephenville Police Department said. “...We’re doing that on this case like we would any other, so it’s a non-fast process and we want to collect as much evidence as we can and then have it interpreted by the best experts that we can. Justice is not the fastest thing in the world, and we do try to make sure we get it right as best as we can.”

Though the arrest affidavit for Yates indicates alcohol may have been a factor. 

“Upon speaking to the defendant, officer observed blood shot/glassy eyes, extreme slurred speech, and a strong odor of alcohol emitting from her person,” the report states.

Yates is originally from Santa Anna and told police she was in Stephenville visiting a friend.

As Emergency responders remain active in the investigation, friends and family grieving the loss of 49-year-old Barbara Rocha and her seven-year-old son Alex have done their best to pick up the pieces.

The pastor of LightHouse Community Church was shocked to receive the news before the morning service that Sunday. Members of the congregation have all united in prayer for the Rocha family.

“In recent months, almost every time our doors were open, the little boy and his sister would come across the street to the church – to play, to laugh, and to enjoy some snacks. We loved seeing them,” A recent Facebook post from LightHouse Community Church said. “Their joy brought life into the room, and they quickly became dear to us.”

Barbara Rocha worked as a server at the Purple Goat, a local restaurant in Stephenville. Upon receiving the news, the business also posted a public statement on Facebook that day:

“As we mourn, we also lift up Alfredo, who is know facing the unthinkable loss of his wife, his child, and his home. No one should ever have to endure this kind of pain,” The post said. “We ask our community to come together during this devastating time. Please keep Alfredo in your thoughts and prayers, and if you are able, consider supporting him as he navigates the days ahead. Hold your loved ones a little closer tonight. Life can change in an instant.”

Dondee Soto, a Stephenville resident and friend of Alfredo Rocha, has created a GoFund me to help raise $60,000 for funeral costs for his wife and son as well as temporary housing in his time of need. It has received overwhelming support from the community, with over $50,000 of donations just a day of the crash.

“Alfredo and his family are good people who did not deserve to have this tragedy happen to them because of a drunk driver,” Soto wrote under her GoFundMe post. “His life will never be the same.”