Two Minors Killed, Three Seriously Hurt After Van Flees DPS Trooper, Overturns and Burns in North Fort Worth

Published by Dunk Law Firm

Published:

Branded Dunk Law Firm news card about the November 14, 2026 crash in north Fort Worth, Texas, where a van that fled a DPS trooper overturned and caught fire, killing two minors and seriously injuring three passengers, with DPS-sourced facts and the phone number 888-551-3865. The background is an AI-generated editorial illustration, not the actual crash scene: an empty residential street at night.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Two minors were killed and three other people were seriously injured when a white Toyota Sienna that had fled from a state trooper overturned and caught fire in north Fort Worth early Saturday, November 14, 2026, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety as reported by WFAA and DFW Scanner.

At around 2:30 a.m., a DPS trooper saw the van traveling at a high rate of speed at the intersection of Northeast 28th Street and Lulu Street and tried to stop it, but the driver fled and the trooper lost sight of the vehicle, according to both reports. A short time later, the trooper found the van overturned and on fire at the end of Oscar Avenue north of NE 31st Street, DFW Scanner reported.

The trooper and Fort Worth police officers pulled injured occupants from the burning van. The driver and a rear-seat passenger, both minors, died. Three passengers, two minors and an 18-year-old man whom WFAA identified as Samuel Tapia, were taken to hospitals with serious injuries. DPS said the identities of the minors will not be released, and its investigation is ongoing. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of everyone in the van.

Questions after a serious crash? Call Dunk Law Firm at (888) 551-3865 for a free case review, 24/7.

Key Facts

  • Location: End of Oscar Avenue north of NE 31st Street, north Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas; the trooper first saw the van at Northeast 28th Street and Lulu Street (DPS via DFW Scanner and WFAA)
  • Date and time: Saturday, November 14, 2026, around 2:30 a.m. Central
  • Vehicle: One white Toyota Sienna van, found overturned and on fire after fleeing an attempted traffic stop
  • Deaths: Two minors, the driver and a rear-seat passenger; DPS will not release their identities
  • Seriously injured: Three passengers, two minors and an 18-year-old man (identified by WFAA as Samuel Tapia), taken to hospitals
  • Rescue: The DPS trooper and Fort Worth police officers pulled the injured occupants from the van
  • Investigating agency: Texas Department of Public Safety

Sources checked as of November 14, 2026, 3:11 p.m. CST. This line is not the article's publication date.

Timeline of Official Statements and Reporting

  • Sat., Nov. 14, around 2:30 a.m. Central: A DPS trooper sees the van speeding at Northeast 28th Street and Lulu Street and tries to stop it; the driver flees and the trooper loses sight of it (DPS via DFW Scanner and WFAA).
  • A short time later: The trooper finds the van overturned and on fire at the end of Oscar Avenue north of NE 31st Street; the trooper and Fort Worth officers remove the injured (DPS via DFW Scanner).
  • Sat., Nov. 14, about 12:20 p.m. Central: DFW Scanner publishes the DPS account, per its metadata (reporting milestone).
  • Sat., Nov. 14, 2:29 p.m. Central: WFAA publishes its report (reporting milestone).

What Makes This Crash Different

Every person known to have been in this van was either killed or seriously hurt, and most of them were minors. The crash came a short time after the van fled an attempted traffic stop; the trooper lost sight of it, and the van was next seen overturned and burning on Oscar Avenue north of NE 31st Street. Officers pulled survivors out of a vehicle that was on fire.

For families, that sequence raises questions that only the investigation can answer: how fast the van was going, what route it took after the trooper lost sight of it, what caused it to overturn, and what started the fire. DPS has not said whether the trooper was following the van when it crashed, and nothing in the reports assigns blame to anyone. Passengers in a vehicle, including minors, can have claims that are separate from anything involving the driver, and those claims depend on the evidence and the insurance involved.

Questions Investigators May Examine

  • How fast the van was traveling and what route it took between Northeast 28th Street and Lulu Street and Oscar Avenue.
  • What caused the van to overturn at the end of Oscar Avenue, including the street layout, lighting and any objects struck.
  • What started the fire and how quickly it spread after the rollover.
  • Whether the trooper was following the van when it crashed, and what dash or body camera recordings show.
  • Who owned the van, who had permission to drive it, and which insurance policies apply.

These are investigative questions, not allegations that any driver, agency or company caused the crash.

What Remains Unknown

  • The names and ages of the two minors who died; DPS said their identities will not be released.
  • The current condition of the three injured passengers beyond "serious injuries."
  • Why the van was speeding and why the driver fled; DPS has released no motive or cause.
  • Who owns the van and whether anyone else was involved; no other vehicle is mentioned in the reports.
  • Whether the trooper was pursuing the van at the moment it crashed; the reports say only that the trooper lost sight of it and found it a short time later.

Evidence to Preserve

  • Request the crash report when it is available (see below) and keep the report or case number.
  • Find out where each vehicle is. Vehicles can be held as evidence. A person with legal authority can ask that a vehicle be preserved before it is repaired, salvaged or destroyed, while respecting any law-enforcement hold.
  • Ask about video early. Tell investigators or a lawyer about businesses, traffic cameras or doorbell cameras near Oscar Avenue, NE 31st Street and the NE 28th Street and Lulu Street intersection in north Fort Worth. Recordings can be overwritten. Do not enter restricted property to get them.
  • Ask about recordings. Trooper dash and body camera video, and any Fort Worth police camera footage, can be requested later through formal records procedures. A lawyer can send a preservation request so recordings are not lost.
  • Keep medical records together. For the injured passengers, keep discharge papers, bills and notes about future care. Our guide Documenting future care after a catastrophic injury explains how families document long-term needs.
  • Keep original photos, texts and witness contact details without editing them. Access a deceased person's phone or accounts only with proper legal authority.
  • Keep financial, work and insurance records, including funeral costs, medical bills, pay stubs, policies and claim letters.

Our guide on evidence that can disappear after a vehicle collision explains why preservation can matter before an investigation ends. Avoid public accusations, and do not post private family documents.

How to get the crash report. Texas peace officer crash reports (CR-3) are sold through TxDOT's crash reports page and its CRIS purchase site. TxDOT lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, plus a possible processing charge, and people outside the eligible categories receive a redacted copy. Officers generally have ten days to submit reports, which does not guarantee a report is available on day ten. Requests for scene photos, video or other investigation files go to the investigating agency (the Texas Department of Public Safety), not TxDOT.

What Families Should Know

This is general information about Texas law, not advice about anyone's claim, and it does not assume anyone is at fault.

Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Texas? Under Civil Practice and Remedies Code §71.004, a wrongful death action is for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse, children and parents of the person who died, and one or more of them may bring it for all of them. If none of them files within three calendar months after the death, the executor or administrator must bring it unless all of them ask otherwise. That three-month rule is not the overall filing deadline.

What is the deadline? CPRC §16.003(b) generally requires a suit for injury resulting in death to be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, and it says the claim accrues on the death of the injured person. Tolling and special rules can apply, so nothing here is a calculated deadline for any family. A person who was injured but survived has a separate personal-injury provision in §16.003(a).

How does fault work? Under CPRC Chapter 33, a claimant found more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover damages, and a lower percentage reduces damages by that share. In a death case, the fault of the person who died can count. Fault is decided on the evidence, and the sources we reviewed do not make a final finding.

Damages. Texas wrongful death damages are awarded in proportion to the injury under §71.010, which does not state a fixed dollar ceiling. That does not mean "no caps" in every situation: exemplary (punitive) damages, claims against government entities and health-care claims follow separate rules that need individual legal review.

A wrongful death lawyer can explain these rules, including how claims work when the people involved are minors and when a law-enforcement stop is part of the facts, without assuming anyone is responsible. A parent or guardian usually acts for an injured minor, and some settlements involving minors need court approval. Before signing an insurance release, understand which claims it settles and whether you have authority to sign it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Were other vehicles involved? The reports describe only the white Toyota Sienna, which was found overturned and on fire. No other vehicle is mentioned.

Will the names of the minors be released? DPS said the identities of the minors will not be released. We do not name or identify minors.

Can passengers or their families have a claim? Possibly. Passengers, including minors, may have claims that depend on the evidence and the insurance on the vehicle and in their own households. A lawyer can review that without assuming anyone is at fault.

Who is investigating? The Texas Department of Public Safety, which said its investigation is ongoing.

How Dunk Law Firm Can Help

A case review can help identify which records to request, what evidence may need preserving, which insurance policies to look at and who may have authority to act. It cannot establish fault or promise compensation before the facts are known.

Dunk Law Firm handles wrongful death, catastrophic injury and commercial vehicle cases. Our Houston office serves families in Fort Worth, Tarrant County and North Texas and throughout Texas, and the firm also serves clients statewide in Tennessee, Missouri and Wisconsin, with offices in Memphis, St. Louis and Milwaukee. Dunk Law Firm does not contact families after a crash; if you have questions, reach out when you are ready.

For a free case review, call (888) 551-3865 or visit Dunk Law Firm. Help is available 24/7, with no upfront attorney fees. Ask about the written fee agreement and case expenses.

You do not need to have every document ready to ask an initial question.

Sources

Sources checked November 14, 2026, 3:11 p.m. CST.

  1. WFAA: 2 minors killed, others injured in Fort Worth crash, officials say — published Nov. 14, 2026, 2:29 p.m. Central; cites DPS and police statement; names the 18-year-old
  2. DFW Scanner: Two juveniles killed, others seriously hurt in Fort Worth crash — published Nov. 14, 2026, about 12:20 p.m. Central (metadata 2026-11-14T18:20:23Z); DPS account including crash location
  3. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 — filing period
  4. Texas CPRC §71.004 and §71.010 — who may sue; damages
  5. Texas CPRC §33.001 — proportionate responsibility
  6. TxDOT: Crash reports and records
  7. TxDOT CRIS purchase site

The images with this article are AI-generated editorial illustrations, not photographs of the actual scene.

Attorney advertising. General information, not legal advice. No outcome is guaranteed, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. This report does not imply representation of anyone involved. Attorney review or approval is not claimed. Responsible attorney: Orville Dunk.