Dallas, Texas – A Texas man has been taken into custody after authorities found the body of a pedestrian he allegedly struck in the passenger seat of his car. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Nestor Joel Lujan Flores, is accused of fatally hitting the pedestrian in Dallas on Saturday night before driving about 38 miles to a restaurant parking lot in White Settlement. According to the White Settlement Police Department, Flores claimed to have believed he hit an animal and failed to notify law enforcement or emergency responders.
On Sunday night, police responded to a call from a concerned citizen who reported an individual slumped over the steering wheel of a car with significant damage to its front end, hood, and windshield. When officers arrived, they discovered a lifeless body in the front passenger seat. Flores was immediately detained for further investigation. The passenger’s death was confirmed by medical personnel at the scene.
While authorities initially had uncertainly about the location of the accident, they determined that Flores had arrived at the restaurant parking lot between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. Detectives believe the impact was so forceful that the pedestrian was thrown inside the vehicle and came to rest on the passenger seat. Flores is now being held at White Settlement Jail on a pending charge of intoxication manslaughter. Earlier this year, he had been convicted of driving while intoxicated in a neighboring county.
The investigation continued on Sunday morning as law enforcement agencies worked together to pinpoint the crash site. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office notified the White Settlement Police Department of a crash near Cockrell Hill Road on the westbound service road of Interstate 30. Human remains were discovered near that area, potentially matching the victim’s body found in the car. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office will collaborate with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office for proper identification and to determine the cause of death.
The case will be transferred from the White Settlement Police Department to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for referral and prosecution. Police obtained a blood search warrant, the results of which are pending. White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook expressed his disappointment in Flores, stating, “It’s very unfortunate that he did not realize that this was a human being, to stop and render aid and call for help.” Chief Cook further emphasized the severity of impairment in this case, remarking that hitting a pedestrian and mistaking them for an animal indicates significant impairment.