On a dark stretch of I-35W yesterday, a minor crash turned fatal when a driver who stepped out to check the damage was hit and killed on the southbound side of the freeway near East Ripy Street, Fort Worth police said. The collision happened shortly before 2 a.m., and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, officers said the man had been involved in a minor wreck and got out of his vehicle to inspect the damage when another car struck him. The outlet reports that the investigation is ongoing and that, as of Sunday, no arrests had been announced.
Investigation and suspect vehicle
Police said the driver who hit the man did not stay at the scene. According to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, officers later found the suspected vehicle at a different location and detained a person there, and the department's Traffic Investigation Unit is now leading the case. The station also reported that a separate crash happened directly behind the initial collision and that the people in that second wreck were taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening; FOX 4 said it plans to update its coverage once authorities release the victim's name or announce any charges.
Identification
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office will identify the man after notifying his next of kin, and that his name has not yet been made public.
Legal consequences
Under Texas law, leaving the scene of a crash that results in death is a criminal offense; the Transportation Code treats it as a second-degree felony that can carry a sentence of two to 20 years in prison. Drivers involved in collisions that cause injury or death are required to stop, return to the scene, and provide aid, according to the Texas Transportation Code.
Fort Worth police say the investigation remains active and are asking anyone with information about the crashes to contact the department.
