Driver hits and kills black couple returning home from the husband’s birthday party

A couple returning home from the husband’s birthday celebration were killed on Sunday morning after they were hit head-on by a wrong-way driver near The Woodlands, Texas.

Patrick and Jackie Delane were out celebrating his 50th birthday before the accident.
They went line-dancing and had drinks with friends. They ended the party with some early morning breakfast and began to head back home.

Around 4am, a black Dodge Charger driving the wrong way hit their white Mercedes head on. The Charger exploded into flames while their Mercedes swayed into a cement barrier. The driver of the other car, 32-year-old Adam Bonilla, Patrick and Jackie were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Jackie’s sister Jeanette Crawford passed the crash scene on the way home and recognized the wreckage of her sister’s car but was hoping that it wasn’t them. She found the nearest exit and turned around to try to get the crash scene, but was actually pulled over for speeding on the way. She however told the Officer that she was sorry and informed him that her sister was involved in the crash. He hugged her after she tried to inquire if they survived.

The Delanes met more than 15 years ago, through their children (Patrick’s daughter Melania and Jackie’s son Bryson) who were in the same middle school band. They got married in 2007 and settled down together in Spring. Jackie served in the U.S. Army Reserve and worked for nearly two decades as a postal carrier while Patrick was a mechanic who also worked in the oil and gas industry.

Police say they still don’t know why Bonilla was driving the wrong way on the road (his car reached speeds of up to 100 mph), but they are investigating whether alcohol may have played a role.