Family of man killed by hit-and-run drivers in Dallas searching for answers

DALLAS - Dallas police are looking for drivers of two separate vehicles that each struck a man in West Oak Cliff.

That man, 50-year-old Reynaldo Escalante, died from his injuries.

It took place last month, but his family was just notified this week.

"I get a call from my uncle that my dad has died, passed away," Escalante’s daughter, Erica Hernandez, said.

Family members Escalante said they’ve learned their loved one is who was struck by not just one, but two vehicles along Fort Worth Avenue during the early morning hours of September 24.

"There’s just a lot of questions," Hernandez said.

Neither driver stopped, according to Dallas police.

"If you know the car, if you know something, like, please say something because he’s a human being," Hernandez added.

Dallas police said someone was driving an unknown vehicle westbound in the far-right lane, when it struck Escalante, who was not in a crosswalk. 

"He grew up over there," Hernandez said. "The fact that he’s out and about in that area is not unusual."

The driver of that vehicle fled.

Witnesses stopped to assist when he was struck a second time by a red Chevy Cruz. That vehicle also fled.

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"You know, accidents happen, I get that," Hernandez said. "It’s 1:30 in the morning, that it happens, it’s 1 a.m., so it’s dark, I get that."

But Escalante’s daughter said there’s no excuse not to stop.

"And people are selfish enough to choose themselves," she added.

Escalante’s daughter said it took investigators several weeks to identify him because he did not have an ID on him. 

His family said it was common to go several weeks without hearing from Escalante, a handyman who bounced around.

"When he came, he just popped up, said, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And then left. Never had a phone on him, so we just see him when we see him," Hernandez explained.

They hope anyone who can help track down the drivers who were involved will call police.

"I had a lot of questions, a lot of emotions," Hernandez said.