Driver Says He Hit A Dead Animal, But Police Found A Body In His Car

A man was arrested on Saturday night after police say he allegedly fatally struck a pedestrian, then drove to a restaurant nearly 40 miles away.

Just after 11 pm on Saturday, police responded to a call to a parking lot in the 8700 block of I-30 Service Road in White Settlement, Texas of a vehicle with extensive damage and what appeared to be the driver slumped over the steering wheel.

White Settlement Police responded, and the officer discovered a Nestor Luján Flores, and a lifeless body sitting in the passenger seat. The officer had Flores step out of the car and then called emergency fire and medical services, who declared the passenger dead on the scene.

The Police Chief of the White Settlement Police Department, Christopher Cook, told reporters on Sunday that Flores was in a collision and never called 911 to report it. In his 28 years of law enforcement, this case was a first of its kind for him.

“It’s very unfortunate that he did not realize that this was a human being to stop and render aid, and call for help,” Cook said.

On Sunday, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office notified White Settlement Police that they discovered the scene of the crash on the westbound service road of I-30 near Cockrell Hill Road. Human remains were found near the roadway, and authorities will be awaiting results to confirm the remains in the roadway are a match to the body in the car.

“When you’re impaired to this level where you hit a pedestrian on the roadway and you think it’s an animal, that’s a significant impairment,” Cook said.

The investigation has been turned over to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office. So far, Flores faces charges of intoxication manslaughter, and failure to stop and render aid. Flores has also arrested and convicted Plano for driving while intoxicated.

Read more at NBCDFW

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