Burkburnett father dies in Midland car crash, driver charged with manslaughter

MIDLAND, Texas – A Burkburnett man died in a Midland car crash early Sunday morning, splitting the car in two.

29-year-old Billy Brock was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a probable cause affidavit from Midland County, investigators found 31-year-old Robert Blake Prince to be the owner and driver of the blue 2017 Mustang involved in a solo-car crash. He is being charged with manslaughter and accident involving death. Bond has been set at $500,000 and $100,000, respectively.

The debris from the wreckage has been cleaned up. The only sign that anything ever occurred on the corner of Wall Street and Andrews Hwy on Sunday is a bent fence, which has long stood along the perimeter of a construction site.

But on early Sunday morning, before 3 a.m., this corner of the often-busy intersection was marked by a horrifying scene: the body of a 2017 blue Mustang was ripped in half. The two separate pieces were visible to the public Sunday morning. The motor and the transmission were found feet away from the car, according to the affidavit.

The posted speed limit is 30 miles per hour. Yet, one officer stated in the affidavit that surveillance video showed Prince’s Mustang traveling fast Southbound on Andrews Hwy. At some point, the surveillance video shows headlights pointing at buildings, something the officer thought was “abnormal.” It was likely the point of collision when the car slammed into the light pole.

First responders described the car as having “extremely heavy damage,” with a large amount of blood found inside and on the driver’s door. The court document goes on to say, behind the car, officers found a man on the ground. It was the passenger, who had been killed.

The affidavit says officers spoke to witnesses who said they had witnessed a man walking by the car, after the crash, on the driver’s side. The witnesses say they spoke to the man before he took off on foot. The affidavit says the witnesses recall the man saying he had to leave because he could not get another DWI.

Officers found Prince’s ID and phone on the scene, but not Prince himself, the document says. A K-9 unit tracked down Prince just west of the crash site. Officers found Prince with serious injuries, then took him into custody.

Officers searched Prince’s driving record in a database and found multiple prior convictions for DWI, according to the affidavit.

Services have been set for Brock. Visitation will be held Saturday, August 28, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hampton Vaughan Crestview Funeral Home in Wichita Falls. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, August 29, at 11 a.m. at Hope Cemetery located in Henrietta.

An intimate burial service with the family will be announced at a later date.

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