Family of 6-year-old boy severely injured in hit-and-run crash seeks accountability

Hector Salazar Jr. said he never expected to see his 6-year-old son, Max Casias, lying in a hospital bed.

“My poor baby,” Salazar said. “He had the worst of it.”

On the night of Feb. 15, Salazar and Casias were victims of a hit-and-run crash on the Southwest Side.

Salazar has since been released from the hospital, but Casias is still recovering from his injuries. Salazar said the crash tore some of his son’s neck ligaments and caused nerve damage.

“It was just like, like a dream state,” Salazar said while recalling the night of the crash. “It was so fast — I didn’t even see the other truck.”

Salazar said Casias was buckled in his car seat behind him as they were traveling down Valley Hi Drive.

According to San Antonio police, as the two were passing the Southwest Loop 410 intersection, a gray 2015 Chevy pickup truck hit them after speeding through a red light.

Police said after the crash, three people in the truck ran away from the scene.

A week later, the investigation is still ongoing. Police said once the driver is caught, they will be charged.

“If we get these guys off the street, they can’t do it to anybody else,” Salazar said. “If my son’s affected for life, they should have some effect in their life.”

Salazar said his son is expected to leave the hospital soon, but it’s still “really hard” to stay positive.

“It’s really just support and really a lot of prayer,” he said.

Read also:

• ‘We deserve the closure’: Family seeks justice months after hit-and-run death on Northwest Side
• ‘Nobody should die that way’: Grandmother of woman killed on Southwest Side asks community for answers
• ‘Getting really bad’: Residents fear for safety as speeding cars continue to damage Southeast Side homes