Police said Veronica Scobell was driving west on Interstate 10 just before 3a.m. and had just gone over the Hawkins overpass when she crashed into a truck.

Both vehicles moved onto the right shoulder and Scobell accidentally backed up into traffic, was hit from behind by a third car, which hit a fourth car.

Scobell died at the scene.

Her friends, including Nadine Wolf, called her 'Tata.'

"I told her happy birthday and that I loved her," Wolf said, crying, when asked about the last time she saw her. "She said she loved me too."

Wolf, Tata and two other friends had tickets to fly to Las Vegas Sunday, where Tata had always dreamed of going.

"It was going to be her first time on a plane," Wolf said.

"She always told everybody she never thought she would make 40," another friend, Rody Kolker said.

They said Tata loved to sing karaoke, root for the Miami dolphins and play darts at The Cockpit bar in east El Paso, where she was minutes before she was killed in the accident.

"Nothing more in the world she wanted than to go to Vegas with the girls," Kolker said. "But I guess that's not going to happen now."

"I'm waiting for her to jump out somewhere," Wolf said. "I'm in a lot of disbelief right now."

Wolf and others friends said Scobell graduated from Austin high school and worked many years as a jailer.

Three people besides Scobell were taken to the hospital because of the crash, including a four-year-old girl. Police said all are expected to be ok.

Officials also said Scobell was not wearing a seat belt and may have been drinking.

This is the 44th car accident death this year compared to 40 at this time last year.