SAN ANTONIO TEXAS, A San Antonio woman died after being struck by a rideshare vehicle when the driver accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the vehicle to jump a curb and hit her.
Darlene Ibarra, 35, was struck while standing at a Northwest Side San Antonio intersection early Saturday afternoon, according to police.
San Antonio police said officers and emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 1:09 p.m. on March 14 to the intersection of West Quill Drive and Bandera Road following reports of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash.
Investigators said the male Uber driver was traveling south on West Quill with a passenger when he attempted to turn onto Bandera Road. During the maneuver, the driver accidentally accelerated instead of braking, causing the vehicle to mount the curb and strike Ibarra, who was standing on the corner holding an advertising sign, according to reports citing police.
Ibarra was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the driver remained at the location and cooperated with investigators. Authorities indicated that no charges are expected at this time, pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
The crash occurred along a busy section of Bandera Road where city and state officials have previously discussed possible safety improvements due to increasing traffic and development in the area.
The identity of the rideshare driver has not been publicly released.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Ibarra’s sister, Crystal Ibarra, shared a message expressing the family’s grief.
“Today was an extremely devastating day for me and my family,” she wrote. “My little sister Darlene went with our Heavenly Father today. Many of you knew her and she had an amazing heart. This is so surreal.”
She added that the family is struggling with the sudden loss, saying she wished she could see her sister’s smile and hear her voice one more time.
