Police are searching for the driver of an SUV that investigators say ran a red light and struck 22-year-old Jacob Gonzalez.
DALLAS, TX — The family of 22-year-old Jacob Gonzalez is seeking answers after he died following a two-vehicle hit-and-run crash in southeast Dallas, where police say the driver of a speeding SUV ran a red light and fled the scene on foot.
Dallas police responded at about 1:28 a.m. Oct. 31 to the intersection of Elam Road and South Buckner Boulevard. Investigators said a Ford SUV was traveling west on Elam Road at a high rate of speed when it ran a red light and struck a Chevrolet Camaro traveling south on South Buckner Boulevard. The impact sent the Camaro off the road and into a fence around a construction site.
Gonzalez was the only person inside the Camaro, according to police. Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedics took him to a hospital with critical injuries, and he died shortly after arriving. The Dallas County Medical Examiner later identified him as Gonzalez.
The person driving the Ford SUV left the crash scene on foot before officers arrived, police said. The Dallas Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit took over the investigation. Officers closed the intersection for several hours while investigators collected evidence and reviewed surveillance video from the area.
As of Nov. 4, police had not publicly identified the SUV driver, and the investigation remained open. Gonzalez’s relatives told FOX 4 that they learned about the crash after his brother called his phone while trying to find him. Someone else answered and told the family that Gonzalez had been involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash.
Jacqueline Gonzalez, his sister, said her “heart just sank” when the family learned what had happened. The family said a bystander found Gonzalez’s insurance card near the crash site and later went to his address to notify relatives. His aunt, Marggie Cabello, said the family might otherwise have believed he was missing.
Relatives said they then spent hours trying to locate Gonzalez at a hospital because they did not initially have his name. His family described him as a beloved son, brother, uncle, nephew and grandson. They have also organized an online fundraiser to help pay funeral, burial, transportation and memorial expenses following his death.
The family is asking for information that could help investigators identify the person who was driving the SUV. Jacqueline Gonzalez said relatives want closure and hope anyone who knows the driver’s identity will come forward. Police had not announced an arrest or publicly identified a suspect in the latest available reporting.
The Dallas Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit continues to investigate the collision, including evidence gathered at the intersection and surveillance footage from the surrounding area. Authorities have not released additional details about the suspected driver or announced charges in the case.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 5, 2026.