Crime Stoppers of El Paso and the El Paso Police Department are once again asking the public for help finding the driver in a 2023 hit-and-run that killed a man in Northeast El Paso. Investigators say 57-year-old Pedro Salas was crossing Dyer Street near Hercules Avenue when a car hit him, and a second vehicle then ran over him after he fell. Salas was taken to a hospital, where he later died. The first driver took off, and with the case still unsolved, investigators are giving it fresh attention in hopes of shaking loose new leads.
Investigation details
According to KFOX14, Salas was struck around 8:41 p.m. on June 10, 2023, while he was crossing the southbound lanes of Dyer Street near Hercules Avenue. Crime Stoppers and police say a light-colored four-door car hit him first, and a second vehicle then ran over him. Salas was transported to a hospital and later died from his injuries, officials said.
One driver identified, first driver still sought
In the weeks after the crash, investigators identified one vehicle and its occupants. Local coverage from 2023 reported that 28-year-old Esteban Armando Nava was driving, with passenger Anaiza Molina, when their car allegedly ran over Salas after the initial strike, according to KVIA. Both the driver and passenger reportedly left the scene, and police continued to search for the unidentified driver of the first car that hit Salas.
Why the case is back in the public eye
The case has now been spotlighted as Crime Stoppers of El Paso's "Crime of the Week," a move intended to bring in new witnesses or video that may have been overlooked, KFOX14 reports. Crime Stoppers notes that tips can be submitted anonymously and may qualify for a cash reward, a setup designed to coax out information from people who might otherwise stay silent.
How to help
Anyone who saw a light-colored four-door car in the Dyer and Hercules area that evening, or who has dash-cam or doorbell video from around the time of the crash, is urged to call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-TIPS (8477) or send an anonymous tip online through Crime Stoppers of El Paso. Police are also asking neighbors to preserve any potentially relevant footage instead of letting it be overwritten.
Legal context
Under Texas law, any driver involved in a collision that causes or is likely to cause injury or death must stop, assess whether anyone needs aid, and stay at the scene. Leaving without doing so can be prosecuted as a felony under Texas Transportation Code §550.021. If prosecutors conclude the evidence supports charges, fleeing after a crash that results in a death can bring serious prison time.
Safety on Dyer Street
Dyer Street is part of El Paso's high-injury network, a collection of streets where serious crashes cluster. The city's Vision Zero strategy calls for targeted engineering, lighting upgrades, and enforcement to cut down on pedestrian deaths along busy corridors like Dyer, according to the El Paso Vision Zero Action Plan. City leaders hope those long-term investments will reduce the kind of tragedies investigators are still working to solve.
