Victim Critically Injured in Fiery Crash Caused by Wild Hog Had San Angelo Ties

EAGLE PASS, TX — A woman formerly from San Angelo is fighting for her life in a San Antonio hospital from injuries she sustained in a head-on, fiery crash south of Uvalde Dec. 26.

Many news outlets reported the crash involving a wild hog. According to the Texas DPS, as reported by the Eagle Pass Texas News, Uvalde resident Ruby Garza was driving a 2008 Ford Expedition northbound on FM 481. The road is known locally as the “Old Eagle Pass Road.” The Expedition struck a wild hog in the middle of the roadway about 25 miles south of Uvalde, the report stated, causing Garza to steer the SUV into the southbound lane.

The off-duty border patrol agent, driving south in a 2011 Mercedes-Benz SUV, was unable to maneuver out of the way in time and the two vehicles collided head-on.

Cordova was 27 and the sole occupant of the Mercedes and was killed.

Garza, 51, was also killed, and she had three passengers. Julia Vasquez, 51; Mayra Vasquez-Esparza; and Naomi Acuña.

As a result of the collision, both vehicles were engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived.

While Garza and Cordova, both drivers, were killed at the scene, passenger Julia Vasquez died a short time late at an Uvalde hospital.

Mayra Vasquez-Esparza and Naomi Acuña were rushed to San Antonio hospitals. The crash happened at about 11:50 p.m. the night of Dec. 26.

Last night on Facebook, friends of Mayra Vasquez-Esparza, who previously lived in San Angelo, posted a prayer request. “Her mom and aunt were killed, and she is still in a hospital in San Antonio,” the post stated.

Friends tell us Mayra was the founder of No Excuse Moms of San Angelo and worked on several projects for area mothers.

Her Facebook profile states Mayra now lives in Uvalde where she is from and is married to Issac Esparza. 

Pictures of the crash were used with permission from the Eagle Pass Texas News, an independent online news publisher in Eagle Pass.