LUFKIN, Texas — UPDATE: The driver in the early Sunday morning hit-and-run, auto-pedestrian fatality accident has turned himself in. He is identified as Roberto Carlos Guerrero, 32, of Lufkin. He has been charged with accident involving injury or death.
The Lufkin Police Department was contacted by Guerrero’s attorney earlier this week, identifying him as the suspect. Guerrero's attorney said he would turn himself in at the Angelina County Jail once the Department had obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, a man, identified as s Gabriel Garcia, 53, of Lufkin, was attempting to cross the intersection of North Timberland Dr. at Paul Ave. when he was struck by a car that did not stop. Witnesses coming out of Whataburger saw the victim lying in the road and called 911.
Guerrero was driving southbound on Timberland Drive in a Chevy Impala when he hit 53-year-old Garcia.
Garcia was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m. An autopsy has been ordered.
A witness said they believed the suspect vehicle was a gray or silver Chevy Impala and the vehicle appeared to pull into the Valero gas station down the street following the incident. The witness did not know which direction the vehicle went upon leaving the store, but it did not return to the scene.
Officers went to the Valero and reviewed surveillance video, but did not find anything helpful to the investigation.
A side mirror was recovered from the scene believed to be from the suspect vehicle. The mirror is to the driver’s side of a 2006-2012 Chevy Impala.
"We will release the victim’s name tomorrow to allow for the notification of extended family," the LPD said.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the LPD at 936-633-0356 or Crime Stoppers at 936-639-TIPS.
