His family witnesses incremental progress each day, yet they continue to seek justice by urging anyone with information to help identify the hit-and-run driver responsible for altering their lives dramatically.
SAN ANTONIO — Almost five months after surviving a harrowing hit-and-run incident, 24-year-old Julian Ramirez has finally been able to return to the comfort of his home.
On Friday, July 3, the San Antonio tow truck operator and father of six reunited with his family after enduring a grueling 137-day journey through hospitals and rehab centers. He sustained life-threatening injuries while assisting a motorist in distress along Loop 410.
Although the road to full recovery remains daunting, his family acknowledges with gratitude every small triumph that each day brings.
Initially, doctors delivered grim predictions to Ramirez’s family, warning them of the possibility that he might never regain consciousness, speak, or move again.
Instead, his mother, Brandy Salinas, says he has done all three.
Ramirez now lives with Salinas, where recovery has become a full-family effort. His stepfather serves as his daytime caregiver, while Salinas cares for him before and after work. His aunt and sister also help with daily therapy sessions.
“We keep pushing him, and he’s home,” Salinas said.
According to San Antonio police, Ramirez was working as a tow truck driver just before 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 16 when he stopped on the shoulder of Loop 410 between Ray Ellison Boulevard and Medina Base Road to assist stranded motorists.
As Ramirez exited his tow truck, investigators said a silver sedan traveling in the second lane struck him and fled without stopping to help.
Ramirez suffered life-threatening injuries. Doctors amputated his right leg to the hip. He also suffered traumatic brain injuries, a broken pelvis, broken ribs, facial fractures, strokes, a skull fracture and injuries to his colon that required multiple surgeries.
Because of swelling on his brain, surgeons removed a portion of his skull during the early stages of his treatment.
By the end of March, Ramirez was stable enough to move to a long-term acute care hospital. Forty-nine days after the crash, he was able to sit up. He later spent seven weeks in long-term acute care before transferring to an inpatient rehabilitation facility in May.
On June 4, surgeons replaced the portion of his skull that had been removed.
“He’s trying to talk, he moves more, he’s understanding more,” Salinas said. “Every day is a big difference.”
Salinas said her son continues to prove doctors wrong.
“He’s a fighter,” she said. “He’s always been my hardhead, stubborn child. That’s one thing about Julian. He’s never been a quitter. The minute you tell him he can’t do something, the more he’s going to do it.”
She said there were moments when she feared she would lose him.
“I’ve had the conversation no parent wants to have with their kids — that if he’s ready to let go and not fight, it was OK, his kids would be OK,” Salinas said. “Every day he would tell me — not tell me, but show me — ‘Look, Mom, I’m not done.'”
One of Ramirez’s latest milestones has been learning to communicate again.
“One of the last things we were working on is him just telling me how old he is by showing me his fingers,” Salinas said.
When Ramirez finally returned home, he wasn’t alone.
Dozens of tow truck drivers escorted him home with flashing amber lights, driving along the same stretch of Loop 410 where the crash happened.
Among them was Jenna Martinez, owner of R&M Towing and Roadside Service.
Martinez said she and her husband previously worked with Ramirez, and after opening their own towing company, they had hoped Julian would join their team.
“He was going to be right beside us and he was our biggest supporter,” Martinez said.
The escort, she said, was about showing Ramirez he has an entire community behind him.
“It was amazing seeing various tow trucks coming and seeing them with their lights on supporting,” Martinez said. “Just to show our support that he is not alone, that we are there for him — not just with him but with his family.”
Martinez said Ramirez’s story has resonated throughout the towing industry.
She hopes his case also serves as a reminder for drivers to slow down and move over for emergency and service vehicles.
“We see stories every day of our fellow tow drivers getting hit because people are not moving over, not slowing down. They see the lights and they ignore it,” Martinez said. “Tow truck drivers put their lives on the line every day, and we want to come home, too.”
While Ramirez’s recovery continues, his family says they’re still searching for answers.
Salinas said she’s frustrated with the pace of the investigation and hopes someone who lives or works along Southwest Loop 410 will take another look at surveillance video from the morning of Feb. 16.
She said detectives have video from Ramirez’s tow truck and vehicle parts recovered from the scene, and believes someone may still have overlooked evidence that could identify the driver.
“At this point, I’m angry,” Salinas said.
San Antonio police confirmed the investigation remains active and no arrests have been made. When the driver is identified, police said that person will face a charge of collision involving serious bodily injury.
Meanwhile, support for Ramirez continues to grow.
A GoFundMe created to help cover his medical expenses and support his six children has raised more than $16,700 from 314 donors, nearing its updated goal of $18,000.
Salinas says despite everything her son has endured, she has no doubt he will keep fighting.
“I don’t have words for it because I know he’s gonna do it,” she said. “He’s gonna show up and show out because that’s what he does.”