What started out as a flat tire ended in a deadly crash. An Arlington man was on his way to work Wednesday morning when he called his wife for help. NBC 5’s Tahera Rahman reports both got hit by a car and the grieving family now has questions.
What started out as a flat tire ended in a deadly crash that has shattered a North Texas family.
His family said Silvano Ornelas, Jr., was on his way to work Wednesday morning when he got a flat tire around 5:45 a.m. near Texas Highway 360 and Trinity Boulevard in Fort Worth.
They said he pulled over, put his hazards on, and called his brother, then his wife to bring his tools.
“She said like just in the blink of an eye, this car slams behind my brother’s truck and that’s what happened: My brother, my sister-in-law thrown, she couldn’t even walk. She was trying to drag herself to my brother to see. She said his eyes were open, he gave his last breath," said Nery Ornelas, Junior's older sister.
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She and another sister arrived at the scene shortly after.
“She did see the way he was laying there, his work boots, and the cover over his body," Ornelas said, crying. "She was like, ‘He’s gone, he’s gone.’ I was like, ‘No, wait for me!'"
Junior, 37, leaves behind a 6-year-old and 7-year-old boy.
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His wife is still in the hospital, suffering from broken ribs, toes, and spinal injuries, according to the family.
Fort Worth police said the driver who crashed into the couple stayed at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation. No charges have been filed.
Ornelas is asking witnesses to come forward.
"Something had to lead to that, you know. I don’t know if they were speeding, I don’t know what the case is," she said. "We do want justice. It’s not just an accident. It was not an accident.”
Usually, Ornelas said "Junior" is the one who takes care of everyone, and it's why she always called him her big brother, despite being younger than her.
“If you’re stranded, he’ll — it doesn’t matter if you’re at the end of the world, he’ll get to you," Ornelas said.
She's cherishing her last memory with him -- a cookout over the weekend.
“He was singing, we were having a good time there that day," she said.
Taking care of his family, just days before he was taken from them.
