EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The father of the 19-year-old woman, who struck and killed a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer back in September in Central El Paso, allegedly turned his daughter in to police, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
19-year-old charged in El Paso TSA officer’s death
As KTSM previously reported, shortly after 1:35 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, 52-year-old David Carmine O’Connor, who was wearing a reflective vest, a helmet, and a light on his bicycle, was traveling southbound on Pershing Drive when he was struck from behind by a vehicle. He was dislodged from the bicycle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 19-year-old Vivian Padilla, didn’t stop to render aid and fled the scene, according to court documents.
The El Paso Police Department’s (EPPD) Special Traffic Investigations unit conducted a detailed investigation of the crash and observed multiple broken plastic pieces belonging to both the bicycle and the vehicle involved in the crash. A part of the vehicle confirmed it belonged to a Kia Soul.
At around 1:35 p.m. that same day, Padilla, his father, and other family members arrived at EPPD’s headquarters. Padilla’s father said that his daughter was involved in a crash, and after he provided officers with Padilla’s personal information and details about the crash, he stated, “She’s the one that hit that person yesterday,” according to court documents…