Father Chases Hit-and-Run Driver After Violent Crash

Injured child's father flags down motorist, chases hit-and-run driver

Dallas police have tracked down and taken into custody the person they say was involved in a hit-and-run crash that left two children injured Monday night.

The driver, identified by police as Jose Cruz Hernandez Martinez, is in custody and expected to face charges of failure to stop and render aid and intoxication assault, police said.

Hernandez Martinez was taken into custody Tuesday morning after an overnight search. 

The night before, a family of four was driving along Haskell Avenue near Fair Park when they were struck by a white Ford van at about 10:40 p.m.

The violent collision injured a woman and her two children, a toddler and a 3-year-old. Both children were in car seats, but the 3-year-old' seat wasn't properly installed and the child was ejected from the vehicle.

After the crash the driver of the van drove away.  The father of the family of four wasn't injured in the crash and was able to flag down a passing motorist who he convinced to chase the hit-and-run driver.

The father and motorist followed the van for about two miles to nearby Reiger Avenue, where the driver of the van bailed out and ran away on foot.

Dallas police searched the area overnight until he was located sometime Tuesday morning.

The two children were seriously injured in the crash and, along with their mother, were taken to Children's Medical Center in Dallas. The condition of their mother, who was transported with them, has not been confirmed.

NBC 5's Frank Heinz contributed to this report.

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