POLICE: Driver Jailed for Serious Injuries to Passengers when Crashing Stolen Pickup

SAN ANGELO, TX – The driver of the crash that happened Friday night was found and arrested yesterday, according to an affidavit.

Twenty-eight-year-old Cody Jay Salazar was charged with Accident Involving Death or serious bodily injury after he crashed a stolen truck into the front yard of a residence on Paint Rock Rd. The truck was previously stolen just three days prior to it being destroyed by a collision with a tree. 

Prior to the crash Salazar had reportedly gotten into a verbal altercation with a party in another vehicle at the stripes just a block down the road. After the altercation he tried to speed off into the street where he lost control and rammed the 2017 Silver Dodge Ram into the gas pumps. 

Salazar turned down Paint Rock Rd. when he had lost control the second time and smashed into a tree. He then, instead of helping his friends who were riding along with him, decided to run from the scene. Police searched for Salazar, but he wasn't arrested until Monday. 

Three passengers were riding with Salazar inside of the truck when it crashed. Yolanda Valencia, Daniella Bejil, and Alfred "Jimmy" Bejil. All were all injured. Both of the Bejil's were ejected out of the truck, while Valencia was pinned inside the the front seat. All were rushed to the Shannon Medical Center with serious injuries. 

The San Angelo Police Department showed Valencia a line up and she was able to point out that Salazar was the driver. Jimmy and Salazar knew each other and were friends prior to the accident, and Daniella knew him through her husband.

None of the victims knew that the truck had been stolen, the affidavit noted. 

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UPDATE 12-11-18 11:00 a.m.  Correction: Sources with the San Angelo Police Department say no one died in the Friday night crash. 

The Tom Green County Inmate roster clearly shows Salazar is charged with an accident involving death.  

The Texas Statute 550.021 charge is for "an Accident Involving Personal Injury or Death." Our original report stated that the female passenger had died. We regret we mis-interpreted the charges against the driver to lead us to that conclusion. We quickly corrected it once the error was known.

The three passengers in the pickup were seriously injured.