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Seth Nolan Palacios Cruz

Age : 24

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 08/11/2025

Location : 600 block of Harry Wurzbach Road, near Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston

City : San Antonio

County : Bexar

State : Texas

Agency : San Antonio Police Department; Alamo Heights Police Department; Terrell Hills Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/11/2025, shortly after 1:00 a.m., police attempted to stop a 2018 Chrysler 300 driven by Jesus F. Estrada in the San Antonio area. San Antonio Police Department records state that Estrada continued driving away while officers pursued. Officers from the San Antonio, Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills police departments participated in the pursuit, which continued for approximately 20 minutes. Twenty-four-year-old Seth Nolan Palacios Cruz was a passenger in Estrada’s vehicle.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., the Chrysler was traveling on Harry Wurzbach Road near Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston while police continued pursuing it. According to SAPD, the vehicle was traveling at high speed immediately before Estrada lost control and crashed into a stone pillar outside the military installation. The impact caused the Chrysler to burst into flames.
Military police officers from Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston reached the burning vehicle and pulled Estrada and Cruz from the wreckage while San Antonio Fire Department personnel extinguished the fire. Cruz suffered fatal blunt-force injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Bexar County Medical Examiner subsequently identified him as Seth Nolan Palacios Cruz, 24, and ruled his death accidental. Estrada survived with serious injuries and was transported to a hospital.
Police alleged that Estrada was intoxicated at the time of the crash. After his hospitalization, authorities arrested him and charged him with intoxication manslaughter, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Court records reported that his combined bail was initially set at $205,000.
The fatal crash occurred approximately 20 minutes after police initiated the attempted traffic stop, with officers from three separate police departments pursuing the vehicle before it struck the pillar. Cruz was a passenger and was not the person police were attempting to stop.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/one-dead-another-critical-after-fiery-end-to-police-chase-near-fort-sam-houston
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/08/11/one-killed-one-injured-in-fiery-crash-after-police-chase-in-san-antonio
https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-police-chase-fatal-crash-19428427.php