Woman waiting on tow truck killed in hit-and-run crash, sister hospitalized
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth police are trying to find the person who hit and killed a woman as she waited on the side of the road for a tow truck.
The crash happened around 7 p.m. this past Thursday on International Parkway, just south of the DFW Airport south exit.
Police said 57-year-old Susan Simmons was standing with her sister, 48-year-old Krystal Edwards, near their disabled vehicle. They were waiting for a tow truck to arrive.
Krystal Edwards (left) and Susan Simmons (right) (Courtesy: Edwards Family)
Both were hit by a passing pickup truck that veered off the road. The driver never stopped.
On Dec. 21, DFW International Airport was busy with people traveling for the holidays.
Around 7 p.m. that night, Simmons landed at the airport where Edwards was there to pick her up.
Edwards’ daughter, Shiloh Dykes, told FOX 4 the car got stuck in the mud near the curve to go east on Highway 183.
"My mother told me the roads were slick. She felt her back tire hit a bump," she said. "When that happened, they had lost control and slid into a ditch."
Simmons called a tow truck. The two were waiting on the side of the road when a car hit them and drove off.
"My mother says the last thing she remembers is her and Susan were arguing about who was going to stand in front of the other," Dykes said.
When Fort Worth police got there, Simmons was in cardiac arrest and passed away.
Edwards was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including broken legs, ankles and injuries to her back and shoulder.
"I think everyone goes through this but questioning why she’s alive," Dykes said.
Fort Worth police say the hit-and-run driver’s rearview mirror was found at the scene. The evidence helped police figure out the driver was driving a Toyota Tundra pickup. There’s no information on the color or model year, but police say it’s missing the driver's side mirror.
"If you know of anyone or any suspicious Toyota Tundra pickups that are missing that left mirror, please give us a call," said Officer Daniel Segura with the Fort Worth Police Department. "We need to know who that driver was and where is that truck in order to continue with this investigation."
Dykes says her aunt was part of the backbone of the family.
"It’s been hard," she said. "Susan took care of everyone."
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Dykes hopes Simmons’ story is a chance to educate people.
"It’s not about the safety of driving on the road but the safety of how dangerous it is just standing on the side of the road," she said.
Dykes wants the driver who did this to come forward.
"And I hope they do," she said. "Ultimately at the end of the day with this interview, I hope that someone sees it and knows that this entire family is hurting."
Anyone with information about the truck or the accident is asked to call 817-392-4884.