Human Interest Authorities Explain What TikTok Star Gabriel Salazar, 19, Was Doing Before Deadly Police Chase Gabriel Salazar was driving a Chevrolet Camaro carrying three passengers when he crashed and the vehicle caught fire, authorities said By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 1, 2021 12:48 PM Share Tweet Pin Email TikTok star Gabriel Salazar and three passengers were killed in a car crash during a police chase on Sunday — and now authorities are releasing more details. Salazar, 19, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro around 1 a.m. when authorities attempted a traffic stop on US Highway 83 near La Pryor, Texas, the Zavala County Sheriff's Office said. The Texas Department of Public Safety told PEOPLE that "all three passengers were Mexican Nationals" who have been identified as Jose Luis Jimenez-Mora, 41, Jose Molina-Lara, 23, and Sergio Espinoza-Flores, 36. Authorities said the incident began when a deputy overheard a call from the Crystal City Police Department initiating a traffic stop on Salazar's car. The police officer then told deputies he was involved in an active pursuit with the vehicle, according to authorities. TikTok Star John Kelly, 'Gentle Giant' Who Went Viral with Son, Dies at 45: 'A Surprise to Us All' The deputy assisted the officer in attempting to deploy a tire deflection device, but it was unsuccessful, the Zavala County Sheriff's Office wrote on social media. Gabe Salazar. Gabe Salazar/Instagram "The Chevrolet Camaro drove off the road, over-corrected, and traveled across the roadway, onto the west barrow ditch," DPS said in a statement. "The vehicle struck some trees, rolled several times, and the vehicle caught fire." Salazar and the passengers died due to injuries from the crash. A DPS spokesperson said an investigation is underway and did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information about what prompted the attempted traffic stop. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Salazar, who used the handle Gabenotbabe on TikTok and had more than 1 million followers, was known for posting lip-syncing videos and skits, according to the Houston Chronicle. Salazar's loved ones wrote on a GoFundMe created to raise money for his funeral expenses that they didn't "want to get into the details [of the crash] because it's so hard for us to even talk about the pain." As of Friday, the GoFundMe has raised more than $38,000. "Gabriel loved his family and was always horsing around with [his] sister and little brother. He was always there with a big hug and smile, and his family will never forget those warm moments," wrote organizer Chris Vasquez. "He was so funny with a quiet sense of humor and sarcasm. I cannot believe that I am sitting here writing this." "Words cannot express the heartbreak our entire community is feeling from the loss of our Gabriel," Vasquez continued. "Your family and friends miss you."