A TikTok star has passed away in a tragic accident on a highway in Texas. Gabriel Salazar, who was only 19-years-old at the time of his death, was killed in a car crash following a police chase, along with three others.
Gabriel Salazar died on Sunday, September 26 a little after 1 a.m., according to People, reporting that the car rolled over and caught on fire after hitting several trees, with Salazar and the three other passengers pronounced dead at the scene. The crash reportedly occurred when Salazar drove off the road and crashed into a ditch.
The car crash took place in Zavala County, Texas, and the sheriff’s office in that county reported via Facebook that an officer from the Crystal City Police Department attempted a traffic stop, but the Chevy Camaro that Salazar was driving did not stop and resulted in active pursuit car chase. After a deputy from the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office tried but was ultimately unsuccessful at stopping the chase with the use of a tire deflation device, the CCPD officer found that the car “rolled over” and “was completely engulfed in flames.”
Gabriel Salazar made a name for himself on the popular social network platform TikTok, where at the time of writing he has accumulated 2.2 million followers. He also has a strong following on Instagram with more than 800,000 followers, and his final post on the social media platform from just days before his death featured Salazar posting by and within his car. Despite the Instagram presence, the 19-year-old was certainly best known for his TikTok use, where he often posted lip sync videos.
In the days since Gabriel Salazar’s death, a GoFundMe page was set up in his name for the purpose of raising money for his family for funeral expenses and missed time from work, which fundraiser organizer Chris Vazquez described as “too much for his family to afford.” The fundraiser asks for donations to “help relieve at least that sorrow and strain for his parents.”
The post did not go into the details of what happened, but did corroborate the reports that Gabriel Salazar died in a car crash on September 26. A tribute to the TikTok star on the GoFundMe page reads:
Gabriel loved his family and was always horsing around with her sister and little brother . He was always there with a big hug and smile, and his family will never forget those warm moments. He was so funny with a quiet sense of humor and sarcasm. I cannot believe that I am sitting here writing this. How is this real life? Words cannot express the heartbreak our entire community is feeling from the loss of our Gabriel . Your family and friends miss you .
At the time of writing on Friday afternoon, the fundraiser has accumulated over $38,000 for Gabriel Salazar’s family, easily surpassing the original goal of $25,000. 2.2k donors have pitched in, and it has been shared more than 8,000 times and currently has 2.8k followers.
Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with the friends, family, and loved ones of Gabriel Salazar in this difficult time.