Fort Worth police say a crash involving a car that was street racing killed three people early Friday morning, including two innocent bystanders. A homeowner in Southwest Fort Worth heard the crash called 911 just after midnight.
Police say two cars were racing down Risinger Road, east of Chisholm Trail Parkway. They say one of those cars hit another car that was pulling out from a neighborhood at Risinger and Burr Oak Lane.
The car that was not involved in the race flipped over, killing both people inside. The car that was racing hit a wall at the entrance to the neighborhood.
Police have not identified the couple who died, but friends and family say Meg and Ben Arbour were killed. They lived in the neighborhood, about a block away, and had four kids.
"Meg and Ben were just great people, great parents. They had really strong faith and four amazing kids," says Donna Anderson, the sister-in-law of Ben Arbour. "She was beautiful. She was fun loving. She was an amazing mom and wife. It's just a huge loss to our family."
"Ben loved Christ more than he loved anything else," says Charles Carpenter, who says he had been friends with Ben Arbour three years. "Same with Meg. They were faithful members of Wedgwood Baptist Church. They also were faithful members of Redeemer. Ben taught analytical theology at seminary. He would call me often just to say, 'Hey, Chuck, let's talk theology.' Faith and family were the two most important things in his life."
Carpenter says the couple were coming home from a date when they were hit. Others who live in the Summer Creek Ranch neighborhood say they hear street racing frequently.
"People drag race through here all night long and even sometimes during the day," said Sherri Pratt, who lives nearby. "Even early morning, but definitely late at night, it's happening all the time."
The head of the homeowners' association says they hire off-duty Fort Worth police to patrol the area, but there have been two other fatal crashes on Risinger in the past three years.
Police say the third person who died was in one of the cars racing. They say the other car left the scene, and they are still looking for the others who were involved.