AMARILLO, TX (01/06/2016) — Police have arrested and charged the driver responsible for killing Derrick Leonard Clark, a Mississippi resident, in a car-vs-pedestrian accident on Wednesday.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS),37-year-old Derrick Leonard Clark, of Greenwood, Mississippi, was killed following an auto-pedestrian accident along the frontage road of Interstate 40 just outside of Amarillo, Texas, in Carson County.
DPS reported that at around 10:30 a.m., the driver of a pickup truck traveling along the service road of I-40 struck and killed pedestrian Derrick Clark and fled the scene. Officers discovered an abandoned GMC pickup truck located near the U.S. Highway 60 and Farm-to-Market Road 2373 intersection which they believed was involved in the auto-pedestrian accident. That vehicle was found to be registered to 33-year-old Ruben Granadoz, Jr.
Granadoz has now been arrested and charged with failing to stop and render aid (a third-degree felony), and additional charges may be pending.
Commentary
As police investigate this accident to help provide us more answers, we would like to talk about failure to stop and render aid. In America, anyone who is involved in an accident that results in injury or death is required by law to stop and render aid to the victim, or they may become liable for failing to comply with this law. Drivers can never be certain to the extent of damage or injuries that an accident has caused until both parties have evaluated the situation.
If you’re involved in an crash, please don’t panic and make the decision to flee. Stay calm, take a moment to ensure that everyone is safe, and immediately call 911 regardless of whether or not you know someone has been injured.
