An 18-year-old driver is facing a felony charge after a hit-and-run crash in northwest Houston left a 76-year-old man dead Sunday afternoon along the 9900 block of North Houston Rosslyn Road. Police say the victim was crossing the street when he was struck, and that the driver initially took off before later returning to the scene, where officers took him into custody.
According to Click2Houston, the Houston Police Department says the crash happened around 3:55 p.m. and killed 76-year-old Rafael Navarro Jaurequi, who was crossing from west to east when a white Toyota Camry headed north struck him. The Houston Fire Department pronounced Jaurequi dead at the scene. Investigators say the Camry kept going before anyone could step in to help. Police later identified the driver as 18-year-old Eli Anthony Lobo Doblado, who was taken into custody by deputies with the Harris County Constable Precinct 1 after he returned to the crash site. After consultation with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Doblado was booked into the Harris County Jail on a charge of failure to stop and render aid.
What the Charge Means Under Texas Law
Under Texas law, the offense commonly called “failure to stop and render aid” applies when a driver involved in a collision that results in injury or death does not stop, return to the scene and provide reasonable assistance. The Texas Transportation Code makes that offense a second-degree felony when the collision results in death, punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a possible fine, under §550.021.
Safety Concerns On the Rosslyn Corridor
North Houston Rosslyn Road runs along a busy northwest corridor that state transportation officials and local planners have flagged for years for serious crashes and risky crossings. A Houston Chronicle review of TxDOT data cites dozens of crashes and multiple pedestrian deaths on nearby stretches of Texas 249. Those numbers helped drive plans for wider lanes, medians and new sidewalks aimed at calming traffic and giving walkers a safer way across the roadway, upgrades residents and traffic-safety advocates have been pressing for as the area grows busier.
Investigation And Next Steps
Prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case before charges were filed, according to Click2Houston. Investigators are still gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses as the case moves toward arraignment. Doblado remained in custody after being booked into the Harris County Jail.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online. Investigators say they are particularly interested in additional witnesses and any video from the area around the time of the collision.
