On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at 10:39 p.m., police responded to a call regarding a bicycle rider hit by a vehicle in the 1600 block of South 14th Street in south Abilene.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 41-year-old unresponsive male lying on the shoulder on the north side of South 14th. The bike he was riding was found a short distance away on the road. Sadly, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene by a Justice of the Peace. Next of kin notification has not yet been made.
According to authorities, the rider was traveling west on South 14th when he was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene of the crash.
Police were able to identify the vehicle involved by a piece that fell off during the collision. Subsequently, officers located the vehicle and its driver in a South Abilene neighborhood later that evening.
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Luciano Tapia of Abilene, was arrested and charged with Second Degree Felony Accident Involving Death. He was transported to the Taylor County Jail.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
