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Maria del Rosario Sanchez Cerda

Gender : Female

Age : 78

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 07/17/2025

Location : I-35 southbound near Cassin Road / Leon Creek

City : San Antonio

County : Bexar

State : Texas

Agency : San Antonio Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

Maria del Rosario Sanchez Cerda was a passenger aboard the Transportes Guerra bus involved in a catastrophic multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 35 southbound near Cassin Road on July 17, 2025.
The collision was initiated when a stolen white Chevrolet Camaro, being pursued by San Antonio police at high speed, struck the rear trailer of the bus. This impact caused the bus to lose control, careen violently into the guardrail, and then collide broadside with an oncoming semi-truck. The force of the crash caused the bus to overturn, trapping many passengers and causing severe injuries and fatalities.
Sanchez Cerda was killed instantly at the scene, as a result of blunt force trauma from the bus overturning. The accident left wreckage scattered across the highway, complicating rescue efforts and requiring a large-scale response involving fire, EMS, law enforcement, and highway authorities. Emergency personnel worked for hours to extract survivors and clear the roadway.
The crash involved four vehicles total, resulted in five deaths, including Sanchez Cerda, and injured at least 21 people, including children and elderly passengers.
Investigators are reviewing the pursuit tactics used by police and the sequence of events leading to the collision. The incident caused significant disruption to traffic on I-35, with the highway closed for several hours during rescue and investigation operations. Families of the victims have been notified, and support services are being coordinated.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/deadly-san-antonio-crash-20784383.php
https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/san-antonio-interstate-35-deadly-collision-20775981.php