Man Detained After Fatally Striking Pedestrian and Driving with Body in Passenger Seat

A disturbing incident unfolded on Saturday night as a man was apprehended by the police after allegedly hitting a pedestrian, resulting in their demise. The shocking twist in the story was that the driver proceeded to drive to a restaurant parking lot in White Settlement, Texas, with the deceased body occupying the passenger seat.

Upon receiving a report about a heavily damaged vehicle and an unconscious driver, law enforcement officers swiftly responded to the scene. The incident occurred at around 11 p.m. on Saturday in the 8700 block of I-30 service road in White Settlement, as stated in an official news release by the White Settlement Police Department.

The responding officer, upon reaching the location, was confronted with a distressing sight. An unmoving human body was discovered in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The officer immediately requested the driver to exit the vehicle and promptly called emergency fire and medical personnel, who sadly confirmed the passenger’s demise.

The driver, identified as Nestor Joel Lujan Flores, a 31-year-old individual, informed the officers that he initially believed he had collided with an animal in Dallas. However, instead of halting his journey, he chose to continue driving until reaching the aforementioned parking lot in White Settlement. The White Settlement Police Department then contacted various law enforcement agencies to piece together the events leading up to this tragic incident.

On Sunday, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office notified the White Settlement authorities about a crash that occurred on the westbound service road of I-30 near Cockrell Hill Road. During the investigation, human remains were discovered close to the roadside. Authorities are currently working on determining if these remains belong to the individual found in the car.

Detectives involved in the case believe that the impact of the collision was so forceful that it propelled the pedestrian into the vehicle. The vehicle involved in the incident was identified as a gray Kia Forte. Astonishingly, Flores continued to drive for approximately 38 miles before finally arriving at the restaurant parking lot in White Settlement.

Currently, Nestor Joel Lujan Flores remains in the custody of the White Settlement Police Department. The Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case to determine the appropriate criminal charges. Additionally, medical examiners from Dallas and Tarrant counties will collaborate to identify the deceased passenger and ascertain the cause of death, after notifying the family.

The results of a blood test conducted on Flores are still pending, as mentioned in the news release. White Settlement police have seized the vehicle and will be handing it over to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.

It is worth noting that this is not Flores’ first encounter with the law. In 2020, he was arrested by the Plano Police Department for driving under the influence (DUI), and he was subsequently convicted for the same offense in 2021 in Collin County, according to the White Settlement Police Department.