UNIVERSAL CITY, Texas – Edward Ruiz had life-changing injuries after he was hit by a driver when he stopped to help someone change a flat tire two months ago.
Ruiz stopped near the median of FM 78 near Loop 1604 just after midnight on Sept. 14 to help the stranded motorist. He was seriously injured when the other driver struck him and the woman he was assisting, Victoria Rogers, and then fled, police said.
Rogers and Ruiz were struck by a silver or gray Ford Fiesta hatchback, believed to be a 2011–2019 model, according to Universal City police. Rogers remains in a wheelchair after the crash.
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“I was hit so hard, I flew over the vehicle and landed in the bed of my truck. How do you hit somebody like that and not stop for them?” Ruiz said.
Ruiz woke up in the hospital and said his first concern was whether Rogers had survived. He has suffered more than 14 fractures, had part of an intestine removed and faces additional surgeries.
Ruiz said he expects to be unable to work until next spring and has exhausted his savings. He has a message for the driver who left them to die.
“He hit me with the car; he hit that poor girl with the car, broke her hip, broke me, and kept going,” he said. “I’ve been in prison two times, but I wouldn’t have left you there. I would have stopped.”
Police said the driver could face charges for failure to render aid and asked anyone with information to call Universal City Police at 210-658-5353. There is also a $5,000 reward available through Crime Stoppers for tips that lead to an arrest.