A hit-and-run suspect in Arlington is now facing upgraded charges after the pedestrian she allegedly struck died from his injuries. The Arlington Police Department reported that 25-year-old Paula Cely-Bernal is accused of hitting a Honda Civic with her Mazda on Dec. 18, which then collided with pedestrian Tajudeen "TJ" Salami.
Salami, 44, was walking to a Family Dollar store with his girlfriend when the tragic incident occurred. The impact left him wedged under a vehicle, prompting his girlfriend, who narrowly managed to avoid being hit herself, to hope desperately for help. "I was there. I was pushed by the car, and I fell down," Jocelaine Jean said, as FOX 4 News detailed.
Following the incident, Salami was hospitalized with brain damage and placed on a ventilator but succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 1. Initially charged with an accident involving serious bodily injury, Cely-Bernal's charges were escalated to an accident involving death. According to authorities, the collision took place at the intersection of East Park Row Drive and Susan Drive and was captured by surveillance video.
Sadly, another traffic-related fatality occurred in Arlington this past week. A 48-year-old man died after being hit by a pickup truck while crawling across West Division Street. Witnesses' accounts suggest that the man was not using a designated crossing, and the reason for his actions remains unclear. The involved driver stopped immediately to call 911 and is not facing charges as the man was not visible in time to be avoided, as reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
In the aftermath of these incidents, the local community has been left to grapple with the sudden and violent loss. Tajudeen Salami's girlfriend, Jean, grieves the void left behind, as she conveyed, "The bed is empty. Everything is empty. I took everything out, and now I sleep on the couch. He is no longer here." As for the second accident, police continue to investigate why the victim was crawling across the street, and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office will release his identity once next of kin have been notified, as per FOX 4 News.
