A late-night walk in southeast Dallas turned fatal on Wednesday when a person was hit by a vehicle at South Buckner Boulevard and Elam Road, police said. Officers were called just after 10:30 p.m., and the victim was rushed to a hospital, where they later died. According to investigators, the driver took off instead of stopping, and a criminal investigation is now underway.
Scene, Response And Early Details
According to WFAA, officers arrived at the intersection of South Buckner and Elam to find a pedestrian who had been struck. The victim was still alive when first responders reached them and was taken to a nearby hospital, where they later died, police told the station.
Investigators say the driver did not stay behind to render aid or talk to officers. Detectives are now trying to piece together the moments leading up to the crash and what exactly unfolded in those few seconds on the roadway.
A Troubling Pattern On Dallas Streets
Deadly collisions involving people on foot are not rare in Dallas. The city keeps a Vision Zero crash dashboard that tracks where fatal and severe-injury wrecks happen and uses that information to guide safety projects, according to the Vision Zero dashboard.
In recent years, local coverage has chronicled an uptick in pedestrian deaths, a trend city officials say they are trying to reverse through a mix of street design changes and stepped-up enforcement, the Dallas Morning News has reported.
As for Wednesday night’s crash, detectives are expected to review nearby surveillance footage, examine possible vehicle damage and interview any witnesses as they work to identify the car and the person behind the wheel, according to WFAA. Anyone who may have seen something is urged to contact Dallas police. Officials say they will release more details as the investigation moves forward.
