Good Samaritan Hit & Killed While Helping Suspected Drunk Driver
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Witnesses said a good Samaritan was hit by a car and killed while trying to help a suspected drunk driver along Highway 175 and Prairie Creek Road in Dallas.
According to witnesses, the woman, who has been identified as 56-year-old Theresa Denice Ware, was hit by another car as she tried to help the drunk driver, who was sitting in a vehicle along the side of the road.
Laride Conerly said that he was headed eastbound on Highway 175 when he saw a silver Infiniti going down the service road with no lights on. At some point, that car lost control on an on-ramp, cut through a grassy area, struck a guardrail and spun into the street.
Conerly said that he and several others pulled over to help the male driver. He said that the Good Samaritan had gotten the man out of the car, walked him to the side of the road and was placing a call to 911 when an oncoming Ford F-150 hit her.
Calling Ware a hero, Conerly said, "She went over, above and beyond to help that individual. She even stopped when… what's so touching about her brave, heroic effort is that she stopped to make sure that he was okay and make sure that he got some help. And to see her laying in the street is just heartbreaking."
Ware was taken to Baylor Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries.
CBS 11 News has learned that the suspected drunk driver was able to get out of his vehicle without help. The driver was later identified as 25-year-old Develtrick Adair. Witnesses said that Adair originally stayed at the scene, but tried to flee after the second crash. When police arrived, witnesses were able to identify the driver still nearby and point him out.
Adair was arrested at the scene, but officials have not said what charges he will face.
The driver of the Ford also remained at the scene, but has not been identified.
Though he did not know the Good Samaritan who was killed, Conerly had a message for those who did. "If I could say anything to her family… I wish you could have seen how heroic her efforts were to try and help this guy, stop him and stop traffic to make sure he was safe and nobody else got hurt."
