HOUSTON – Deputies with Harris County Sheriff’s Office are searching for a driver responsible for reportedly hitting and killing a 16-year-old boy in west Harris County Tuesday.
It happened around 10:47 p.m. when the teen, who was identified as Omar Fathallah Mohammed Fathalla Ghatas, was being chased by a dog in the 13100 block of Alief Clodine, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet.
Ghawtah. The unk driver of the truck did not stop and render assistance and fled the scene eastbound on Alief Clodine. The truck is described as a 2007-2014 white Chevrolet Silverado. This case remains under investigation. #HouNews 2/2
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) July 20, 2022
Gonzalez said Ghawtah, who is originally from Egypt, was returning home from work when he got off at the bus stop and noticed the dog nearby.
He became startled and attempted to run away, however, the dog started chasing him. That’s when he was struck by the driver of a 2007-2014 white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, HCSO said.
Investigators said the driver did not stop to render aid. According to Gonzalez, the suspect fled the scene eastbound on Alief Clodine.
Ghawtah’s family said it usually takes him 15 to 20 minutes to walk home from the bus stop, so when he wasn’t answering his phone, the mom said she got worried and called 911. Gonzalez said that’s when the mother found out her son had been killed.
An investigation is underway as deputies work to find the driver involved.