Three Good Samaritans were violently attacked Tuesday morning on a Dallas freeway after stopping to assist victims of a multi-vehicle collision, according to police. Authorities report that one person was stabbed, while two others were struck by their own vehicles during the incident on Interstate 635.
The accident happened just after 7 a.m. on Interstate 635, which is also known as the LBJ Freeway, near Forest Lane. It caused a lot of traffic problems.
The suspect, Angel Zamora Moreno, 26, from Plano, was in a car accident before striking several people who had stopped to help, according to the Dallas Police Department.
"Originally there was a car accident, both individuals got out the car," witness Sameer Sethi who was driving behind the car told NBC 5. he saw one man take out a knife and stab another driver following a confrontation.
According to police, when a Texas Department of Transportation worker stopped to assist at the crash scene, Moreno allegedly stole another driver's car and rammed into the worker, who was hospitalized.
Video footage captured by bystanders and obtained by local media showed the suspect chasing a woman in red scrubs with a stolen vehicle before running her over. The woman was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
"Seeing it firsthand like that, it's a very unfortunate situation," Sethi said.
Police reported that good Samaritans at the scene managed to tackle and restrain Moreno until law enforcement arrived.
Moreno now faces multiple charges, including seven counts of aggravated assault, two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, and one count of criminal mischief, according to Dallas police.
NBC 5 reported that Moreno had been fired from his job at a Dallas contractor the day before the incident for undisclosed reasons.
Sethi watched as Moreno jumped on multiple other cars and stomped in their windshields. He posted clips of the scene on his Instagram, @OutsidersImmortal.
"This guy jacking a car, hurting a nurse, stabbing somebody, bashing someone else's windshield, I think the level that he had taken it to and the amount that he did in his wave of anger or whatever he may have been on, I think that makes the severity level a little bit worse," Sethi said.
Detective Marc Tucker of the Dallas Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation. Authorities are urging anyone with additional video footage or information about the incident to contact Detective Tucker at 214-671-3621 or [email protected].
The freeway was closed for nearly four hours due to the incident and subsequent investigation, reopening around 11 a.m.
As the investigation continues, many drivers at the scene expressed shock at the unprecedented nature of the event on Dallas roads and are seeking answers about the motivations behind the attack.