Man accused of killing teen in crash turns himself in more than 17 hours after crash, docs show

FRESNO, Texas (KTRK) -- The man accused of killing an 18-year-old in a hit and run turned himself in to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office more than 17 hours after the crash, according to charging documents.

Thirty-four-year-old Darius Dickerson is accused of striking 18-year-old Deztiny Rodriguez last Saturday night at approximately 10:40 p.m. Rodriguez was walking down Evergreen Street, near South Post Oak Boulevard with her boyfriend at the time of the crash.

Surveillance video shared with ABC13 shows Dickerson's SUV passing Rodriguez's boyfriend, 17-year-old Aaron Felix. The video shows Felix then running to help his girlfriend, whose body had reportedly been flung into a ditch.

Felix told investigators that Dickerson briefly stopped after the collision to examine the damage to his vehicle before driving off.

"You took someone out of this world that your soul couldn't even begin to comprehend and I hope that at the end of the day when you do leave this Earth, God takes you exactly where you belong," Felix told ABC13, addressing Dickerson directly.

Court documents state Dickerson contacted the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office at approximately 4:30 p.m. Sunday, more than 17 hours after the crash. He reportedly stated, "he saw a person but didn't hit that person. Documents also state Dickerson said he, "stopped further down the street but did not go back to the scene and continued driving home."

"I'm mad at the man that left my daughter in the ditch," Rodriguez's mother, Lupe Vazquez, told ABC13. She asked, "How is it that someone's gonna hit 'something' in his words at 10:43 p.m. and then call the following day at 4:30 p.m? It makes no sense to me."

Dickerson, who has bonded out of the Fort Bend County Jail, is charged with "collision involving death." He is due in court on April 5. Several of Rodriguez's loved ones told ABC13 they are upset Dickerson is not facing charges such as manslaughter and failure to render aid.

Vazquez told ABC13 her daughter lived up to her middle name, which means warrior. She said she was always fighting for others.

"She was just one of a kind. Always trying to fight for justice and do right by everyone, Vazquez said.

Felix told ABC13 that Dickerson's arrest "is just the beginning." He said he and Rodriguez's other loved ones plan to "fight for her."

Rodriguez was a student at Progressive High School. She was just months shy of graduating at the time of her death. Vazquez said her daughter planned to enlist in the military.

"We should be getting ready for graduation, not getting ready to bury somebody," her longtime friend, Mykayla King, said.

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