San Angelo man arrested after leaving three passengers seriously injured in hit and run

SAN ANGELO – A man was arrested for leaving three people seriously injured during a hit-and-run crash last week.

On Friday, Dec. 7, 2018 a San Angelo man crashed a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 into a tree in the 200 block of Paint Rock Road just before midnight, a San Angelo Police Department news release said.

The driver left his three passengers, a 30-year-old woman, 33-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man, and fled the crash site, police said. The 30-year-old woman was found inside the pickup, and the other two were ejected from the vehicle. All of them were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition, according to the news release. 

During the investigation, police discovered the driver was in a verbal altercation with people in another vehicle at a convenience store at 1542 S. Bell St. During the altercation, the man was attempting to flee the parking lot and collided with a gas pump.

After that, the driver sped westbound, the release said. The pickup left the roadway and hit the tree, which peeled the passenger side off the pickup's body.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Cody Salazar, 28, on suspicion of accident causing serious bodily injury and he was found at a residence in the 100 block of North Monroe Street and taken into custody before 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 10. 

Jail records online indicate Salazar was arrested on suspicion of accident involving death. San Angelo police said the charge listed online is incorrect and all three passengers remain in stable condition. 

Salazar remained jailed Tuesday morning with bond set at $50,000, according to the Tom Green County Jail records.