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Car Accidents

On Oct. 16, 2016, a 19-year-old Baylor University marching band member was struck and killed by a hit-and-run motorist. Waco Police Department struggled to identify the driver believed to have been responsible for his death until September of last year when they received an anonymous letter in the mail. She was taken into custody on March 5.

According to police, the victim was riding his bike near 3200 Franklin Avenue that fateful evening. Witnesses to the crash had identified the car who struck him as a sports utility vehicle (SUV). They told police that the driver failed to stop after hitting him.

The letter that police received in September of last year didn’t just pin the hit-and-run on the 50-year-old Waco resident, but it also spelled out how she had apparently been speeding and drinking at the time she struck the college student.

In the time since they received that letter, detectives made contact with the woman’s auto insurance company. In doing so, they found out that she’s filed an insurance claim saying that she crashed into a stop sign shortly after the hit-and-run-incident occurred.

A forensic team examined the woman’s car and found traces of blood along the molding of the front windshield and a nearby mirror. Tests to determine the blood’s origin came back as inconclusive.

When questioned by police about her potential involvement in the crash, she initially told police that she’d struck a sign as she was driving back from a party where she’d been consuming wine. She later admitted that she may have struck a homeless person as well.

She was processed through the McLennan County Jail after her arrest. She faces one second-degree felony count of failing to stop and render aid. It’s unclear when she was expected to be arraigned.

The university described the victim as a dedicated student, band member and Christian at a ceremony held in his honor in the weeks following his death.

When a motorist drives drunk, texts while riding down the road or speeds, their actions are considered to be willfully negligent. Crashes occur in these instances because drivers don’t take the necessary precautions to protect others’ safety. If you’ve been hurt or lost someone close to you in this type of crash in Texas, then a car accidents attorney can hold the negligent party liable.

Author Photo

Michael Zimmerman

Michael was born in Houston, Texas. His education at Baylor and Texas State Universities earned him a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. His major was in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. He finished his legal education at Texas Southern University in 1990, earning a Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990.

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