The Dallas Police Department is investigating a hit-and-run incident from last week that left three people injured — one of whom sustained second-degree burns during the incident.
Authorities are looking for the driver of a black Dodge Charger, who witnesses say was driving recklessly before crashing into a food truck at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Olive Street in Downtown Dallas on February 18, according to Fox 4 KDFW. The vehicle sustained heavy damage to the front end and lost its bumper at the scene.
Two male suspects were caught on camera by bystanders as they exited the vehicle after the crash and examined the trunk before getting back into the car and taking off. Neither of the men wore masks, and the license plate was reportedly identifiable from the footage.
“It’s not about hitting us,” said Hugo Miranda, who co-owns the food truck Tacos Caita, according to Fox 4. “The material stuff doesn’t matter to me. It’s about [the employees’] lives and well-being. That is what bothers me a lot. They didn’t even check on them. They didn’t open the door to check on them.”
With Miranda, Ivan Licea launched Tacos Caita in memory of his wife, who died two years ago of colon cancer. Her dream was to open a restaurant. The venture had been running for just six months.
On the night of the crash, Licea was suddenly knocked unconscious when the trailer was struck from behind. When he came to, he had second-degree burns down the left side of his body from coming into contact with boiling water.
“I tried to get up from the floor, but I had soup on my head and steam water on my body,” Licea recalled, per Fox 4.
The father of three required hospitalization and is still receiving outpatient care from Parkland Health’s burn unit. Two other employees sustained minor injuries during the incident.
No arrests or updates on the investigation have been announced by DPD yet. The hit-and-run happened in Council Member Paul Ridley’s District 14, which, together with Council Member Jesse Moreno’s District 2, has seen rising rates of vehicle-related crime this year. As of February 28, both had clocked 566 reports of motor vehicle theft — a 7.4% increase from the high figures seen in 2023 — and 575 reports of car break-ins, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
As extensively covered by The Dallas Express, Downtown Dallas has been growing into a hot spot for crime, especially motor vehicle theft, drug offenses, and assaults, amid a chronic shortage of DPD officers. A City analysis recommended a force of 4,000 officers to adequately promote public safety, yet DPD fields only around 3,000.
Moreover, DPD has a budget of only $654 million this fiscal year after City leaders opted to spend far less taxpayer money for police operations than their counterparts in other high-crime cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth’s city center, which has a dedicated police unit and private security officers patrolling it, regularly logs lower crime rates compared to Downtown Dallas, as monthly studies conducted by the Metroplex Civic & Business Association attest.
