Grandmother grateful daughter, granddaughter survived crash with alleged street racer
Raleigh police are still searching for one of the drivers involved in what they say was a deadly street racing crash on Tuesday morning along Atlantic Avenue.
Posted — Updated“I called her [and] she didn’t answer. I called several times,” Jiles said. “I called Taneeka again, repeatedly.”
Bonaparte and Tania were injured in a crash on Atlantic Avenue near East Six Forks Road in Raleigh, a crash police say was caused by street racing.
“They were racing [at] that time of morning,” Jiles said. “Who is racing at 4:30 a.m.?”
One of the drivers, William Ortiz, 33, died at the scene. Police said he lost control of his Mercedes Benz E 300 and hit Bonaparte’s 2009 Chevrolet Traverse head-on as it was traveling southbound on Atlantic Avenue.
“I hate he lost his life,” Jiles said of Ortiz. “Sometimes, we do things we shouldn’t be doing. Those are consequences.”
Raleigh police said Ortiz was driving recklessly northbound on Atlantic Avenue alongside a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro.
Police said the driver of the Camaro collided with a tree and left the scene. Authorities are still looking for that driver.
When Bonaparte and Tania didn’t arrive at their usual time, Jiles began driving the reverse route her daughter drives each morning.
“As soon as I turned onto Atlantic [Avenue], I saw all the blinking lights,” Jiles said. “That’s when I began to panic.”
Jiles saw Bonaparte’s Traverse mangled, crumbled and crushed, with airbags deployed.
Authorities had to cut Bonaparte and Tania from the SUV.
Bonaparte has fractured ribs, bruised lungs, a fractured femur and her right knee cap is “blown open,” according to Jiles.
Tania has a fractured collarbone, a fracture on the back of her ear, bruised lungs and bleeding on brain
“As I tell everyone, I am not planning two funerals. I thank God I am able to see them each day,” Jiles said.
Bonaparte will have to learn to walk again.
“It makes you angry [and] ticked off, but again, I have to say I’m grateful,” Jiles said.
It’s unclear how soon Bonaparte and Tania will be able to leave the hospital.
Friends and family have started a GoFundMe to raise money for Bonaparte and Tania. The fund has raised $1,645 of a $7,500 goal as of Friday afternoon.
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