1 Mar 2002
Authorities Have Not Been Able To Locate Driver Who Flipped Truck Five Times
DALLAS—Please help.
While driving to work on Interstate 30 last Thursday morning around 7 a.m., assistant North Dallas High School principal Emilio Castro, who is currently being featured in "Better Schools, Better Dallas" TV spots, was injured when he was involved in a hit-and-run accident that resulted in his truck flipping five times.
He suffered a severe concussion, received bruises over his entire body, and doctors had to remove gravel that was imbedded in his left shoulder as a result of the accident.
Castro was DISD teacher of the year in 1998. He and his wife are expecting the birth of their first child in August. While his truck was rolling for the second time, he blacked out but remembers thinking, "I sure hope I live to see my wife and first child."
North Dallas High Principal, Lynn Dehart, said he was thankful Castro had not sustained serious injuries and that he is returning to the school so soon.
"The students and faculty have a lot of admiration and pride in the work Emilio does for North Dallas High School and we are glad to have him coming back to work so soon after such a traumatic experience," Dehart said. "We hope the person who caused this accident will be found and dealt with accordingly."
Emilio says he's just thankful to be alive. "This experience has given me a new perspective and a new lease on life," he said. "I don't sweat the small stuff anymore."
Castro couldn't wait to get back to the students and his colleagues at North Dallas and returned to school on Wednesday of this week. Authorities, however, have not been able to locate or find the person who allegedly caused the accident.
The Dallas Police Department is investigating this as a criminal matter.
Castro described the vehicle that caused the accident as a white car. Everything happened so quickly that he was unable to get the make and model of the vehicle.
"We are asking anyone who has information about this accident to please contact the Dallas Police Department's Vehicle Crime Unit at 214-670-5817 so that this person might be brought to justice," Dehart said.