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A teenager from Texas is now facing legal consequences after a collision with a TSA agent on an electric bike earlier this year resulted in a fatality.
In a press statement dated November 4, Officer Adrian Cisneros from the El Paso Police Department announced that 19-year-old Vivian Rose Padilla has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death.
This tragic incident unfolded on the early morning of September 7. The victim, 52-year-old TSA worker David Carmine O’Connor, was riding his e-bike at about 1:30 a.m. along the 4600 block of Pershing Street in El Paso.
Authorities report that O’Connor was wearing a reflective vest, helmet, and had his bike lights on when Padilla, driving a Kia, struck him. The impact was fatal, and O’Connor tragically lost his life at the location.
Instead of stopping to help, Padilla left the scene and returned home, as detailed in an arrest affidavit reviewed by KFOX 14. Roughly 12 hours later, Padilla showed up at the police station, accompanied by her father.
“She’s the one that hit that person yesterday,” the father reportedly said.
While waiting in the lobby, Padilla’s mother and boyfriend arrived at the station. Her mother advised her to stop talking until she retained an attorney, KTSM 9 News reports.
Investigators were given a written statement by the father, who reportedly said he called Padilla multiple times. During one of those calls, she allegedly admitted to the crash.
While conducting an investigation, the El Paso Police Department’s (EPPD) Special Traffic Investigations unit found broken car parts at the scene, which matched “perfectly” to the Kia Padilla had been driving. They also located blood on the vehicle.
A search warrant also indicated that Padilla was likely using her phone when the crash occurred and after fleeing the scene.
Padilla was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $50,000 bond. She has since been released.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Vivian Rose Padilla/El Paso County Detention Facility]