Man drove nearly 40 miles with body of legless pedestrian upside down in passenger seat
Inset: Nestor Lujan Flores (White Settlement police). Background: The car Lujan Flores was driving when he hit a pedestrian (KDFW/YouTube).
A Texas man who struck and killed a pedestrian and then continued driving for nearly 40 miles has been sentenced to prison, prosecutors announced.
Nestor Lujan Flores received a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty to intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid in a collision involving death.
The crash occurred on Dec. 16, 2023, along the westbound Interstate 30 service road in Dallas. Prosecutors said Lujan Flores, who was 31 at the time, hit a pedestrian with such force that the victim was thrown into the vehicle. Evidence from the scene later confirmed the severity of the impact.
Hours later, police in White Settlement were called to a Jack in the Box restaurant on the I-30 service road after a caller reported a gray Kia Forte with heavy front-end damage and a shattered windshield. Officers arrived to find Lujan Flores inside the vehicle and discovered a deceased person in the passenger seat.
White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook said Lujan Flores appeared disoriented and told officers he believed he had struck an animal. Paramedics pronounced the passenger dead at the scene. Investigators later determined the vehicle had been parked at the restaurant for several hours before authorities were notified.
The following morning, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office located the original crash site near Cockrell Hill Road, where investigators found additional evidence linking the scene to the victim found in the car. Authorities said Lujan Flores never contacted police after the crash.
Because the collision occurred in Dallas County, the sheriff’s office led the investigation. The victim has not been publicly identified.
Court records show Lujan Flores had a prior conviction for driving while intoxicated in 2021 and was arrested on the same charge in 2020.
“This case is a stark reminder of the devastation caused by impaired driving,” Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said in a statement. “The victim lost his life, and a family was forever changed. This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s actions and holds him accountable.”
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