A woman in a wheelchair was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash on South Buckner Boulevard in far east Dallas during the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Dallas police responded to the collision at 5600 South Buckner Boulevard at approximately 1:10 a.m., where they discovered the victim in the service road with a damaged wheelchair found nearby. The woman, who police believe was experiencing homelessness, died at the scene from her injuries. The driver involved in the crash fled the location without stopping to render aid or provide information to authorities, as required by Texas law. Dallas Police Department investigators are actively working to identify the driver responsible for the fatal collision, and the case remains under investigation. The victim's identity has not been released pending notification by the Medical Examiner's office, leaving family and community members searching for answers about this tragic loss of life.

Location and Infrastructure

The 5600 block of South Buckner Boulevard sits within a section of Loop 12 that has earned the designation as Dallas' deadliest street, with the area historically experiencing high rates of pedestrian accidents and traffic fatalities. The stretch of roadway is a six-lane street where pedestrians often wade through traffic without nearby crosswalks or traffic lights to stop vehicles. The Buckner Station area is located ten miles south of downtown Dallas, just northeast of U.S. Highway 175 and TX Loop 12, and includes a mix of housing, industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. Recent safety improvements have been approved for this corridor, with Dallas City Council approving nearly $10 million for new traffic signals, including five new signal locations on the Buckner Boulevard section of Loop 12. The area previously had red-light cameras that were credited with reducing dangerous T-bone collisions, but these were removed in June 2019 when Texas banned the enforcement devices.

Legal Rights and Considerations

Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550, drivers involved in accidents resulting in injury or death have specific legal obligations that were violated in this case. Leaving the scene of an accident involving death is classified as a second-degree felony in Texas, punishable by 2 to 10 years in state prison. Texas law requires drivers to immediately stop after being involved in an accident and exchange contact information, vehicle information, and insurance information with other parties involved. The victim's family may pursue civil remedies against the responsible driver once identified, including compensation for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and other damages. Victims of hit-and-run accidents may be entitled to punitive damages, which are intended to punish the driver and deter similar behavior, with Texas law allowing punitive damages up to double the economic damages plus non-economic damages, capped at $750,000. Family members typically have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit under Texas law.

Related Resources

Emergency Services:

• Dallas Police Department: (214) 671-4268
• Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office: (214) 920-5900
• Emergency Services: 911

Traffic Safety Resources:

• Dallas Department of Transportation: (214) 670-6244
• Texas Department of Transportation Safety Information: www.txdot.gov
• Dallas Vision Zero Initiative: dallascityhall.com/departments/transportation

Support Services:

• Dallas County Crime Victim Services: (214) 653-3800
• The Bridge Homeless Recovery Services: (214) 670-1100
• Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas: (214) 748-1234

Legal Resources:

• Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550: statutes.capitol.texas.gov
• Texas Department of Public Safety Crash Records: cr3.txdot.gov
• State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral Service: (800) 204-2222