7-year-old boy killed by hit-and-run driver in Fort Worth neighborhood
FORT WORTH, Texas - A 7-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run crash while trying to cross the street near his home in southwest Fort Worth.
The accident happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday on Wichita Street, near Highway 287 south of Berry Street. Police said a car hit the boy on the neighborhood street, dragged him several blocks and then drove off.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the little boy as Nelson Morales. Records show he lived not far from where the accident happened and police said he was at a family event at the time.
Morales’ older brother told FOX 4 they were gathered at a relative’s house because of their grandmother’s recent passing. Morales was playing outside with his cousins.
“We were about to call it a night and I had just stepped inside the house. That’s when one of my little cousins comes yelling, screaming that my little baby brother had just gotten run over,” Christian Rivas said. “They tried to save his life, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.”
Police said Nelson and several other youngsters attempted to cross the street at Wichita Street and Comanche.
They said the children stood and waited for a southbound vehicle to pass. The driver of that vehicle, once through the crosswalk, slowed to make a left turn.
Investigators said that’s when the children began to cross, and that’s when an SUV traveling in the opposite direction struck Nelson and then kept going.
Jazmen Craddock was driving the vehicle that made the left turn. Her friend was in the car with her. They said the impact behind them was unnerving.
“I saw they were kids trying to cross and I saw there was a car coming. Once we hit that corner, and heard what we heard, I just saw dust everywhere. And the car just sped off, like they didn’t even stop,” Craddock recalled.
“I still don’t believe it. He was just an innocent little boy,” Rivas said. “We understand that it was an accident, but the fact that you just left him.”
Rivas said his family was confused and couldn’t believe that someone would drive off after hitting and dragging a child. But the other children and a neighbor saw the whole thing and were able to give police information.
“I feel like they are heartless for just leaving him and not stopping to at least try to help. That’s not what a human being is supposed to do. We’re supposed to help each other,” he said.
Police only described the suspect's vehicle as a gray or silver Toyota SUV. They’re trying to track down any recorded images of the vehicle.
“We are also looking at not just surveillance cameras from houses close by, but also businesses as well, to hopefully get a license plate or anything that can assist us in finding this individual,” said Buddy Calzada with Fort Worth PD.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 817-392-4869.