HOUSTON – A Houston woman said she and her 4-year-old niece are lucky to be alive after a hit-and-run crash. The crash happened on Wednesday off Interstate 610 right, before the Telephone and Woodridge exit.
Smashed up against trees, Jasmine Martinez’s Mazda 3 was destroyed.
“It was just all happening so fast,” said Martinez.
The 21-year-old and her 4-year-old niece, Julie, are now recovering from their injuries. Martinez said her niece had just fallen asleep in the back seat before the crash.
“I just remember I switched lanes, so I hit the exit. I began. I saw the exit coming up. I turned on my blinkers, and then the next thing that I knew, I just, I felt the impact and my car pushed off the freeway. I remember hitting about two or three trees and blacked out,” said Martinez. “It took me about 7 minutes to wake her up as she did not want to wake up after the crash.”
Martinez said the driver that rear ended her drove off.
“The witnesses said that it was a red pickup truck, a newer version of the model,” said Martinez.
Fortunately, good Samaritans helped pull Martinez and Julie out of the rubble. Julie was covered in bruises and has stitches around her eyes. Martinez is currently in the ICU and has a long road to recovery with three broken ribs, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. She has a message for the driver.
“I want them to know that they need to know what they did. You risk people’s lives, a child’s life. You need to be careful. It’s not a joke. I’m not asking for them to fix my car or nothing. Just take accountability for everything that you’ve done. Be responsible,” said Martinez.
She said the damage and injuries may leave a scar, but knowing the driver is still out there hurts even more.
If you have any information, you are asked to call HPD.