Authorities are still searching for a boater involved in a hit-and-run crash at Lake Grapevine over Memorial Day weekend. NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero has the latest updates.
What to Know
- Ava Renee Moore, 18, died Sunday after she was hit by a personal watercraft while kayaking on Grapevine Lake.
- Investigators released a photo of the woman they say was operating the PWC at the time of the collision, hoping to learn her identity.
- Witnesses and investigators said that after the crash, the woman left with a man who hit a vehicle while leaving the area.
- On Tuesday, the woman suspected of colliding with Moore was arrested. Read more here.
The search continues for a woman police say fatally struck a kayaker in a hit-and-run on Grapevine Lake on Sunday.
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WATCH HEREThe Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday identified the victim as 18-year-old Ava Renee Moore.
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SIGN UP Texas Game Wardens and the Grapevine Police Department said Monday, "preliminary details indicate a personal watercraft (PWC) with two female occupants struck and killed the victim."
Police said the passenger of the personal watercraft stayed at the scene and spoke with first responders while the operator left with an adult male, who then struck a vehicle while leaving the park.
Grapevine police are investigating the hit-and-run in the parking lot, while game wardens are investigating the collision in the water.
Grapevine police shared a photo of the woman they believe was operating the personal watercraft, but she was not publicly identified.
An eyewitness spoke with NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 but asked that her identity not be revealed due to concerns about her safety. On Monday afternoon, investigators released a photograph she had taken of the woman believed to be operating the PWC.
The woman said in Spanish: ‘Hoy por ella, manana por nosostros.’
She said, "Today for her, tomorrow for us." She did what she hoped others would do for her family, especially because her 8-year-old niece had just stepped out of the lake when the tragic events unfolded.
It is thanks to the actions of the woman and her friend that Texas Game Wardens have images of the suspected hit-and-run boater and information about those with her.
The Grapevine Fire Department responded to a call at approximately 5:20 p.m. about an injured person close to Oak Grove Park. According to the fire department, a woman in a kayak was hit by someone riding a personal watercraft.
Video shared with NBC 5 showed the woman on the kayak being pulled to shore with severe trauma. Officials said first responders on the scene performed a series of advanced life support measures, but Moore died of her injuries.
As lake visitors pulled the critically injured kayaker to safety, others tried to prevent several people who appeared to be with the woman who was on the PWC from leaving the scene.
“They know what they did and they have to take responsibility,” said the witness.
It is unclear whether the PWC was rented, which carries several legal requirements, or if either was under the influence of alcohol. The witness said they abandoned the PWC before fleeing.
People at the lake for the holiday weekend told NBC 5 that the incident is a reminder to take safety on North Texas waterways seriously.
"I feel so bad. I never think this could be so dangerous. And you know people just wanted to have fun," said Nicole Perez, who was visiting Grapevine Lake on Sunday. "I'm feeling bad for them, and it's actually like a sign to be careful. We trust these places where it's not gonna happen here. But yes, it happens."
Investigators are actively looking for both the personal watercraft operator and the vehicle driver. If anyone has information regarding either suspect, please contact cidmail@grapevinetexas.gov. The Grapevine Police Department is investigating the related automotive hit-and-run incident, while Texas Game Wardens lead the water fatality investigation.
Update: The woman suspected of colliding with Ava Renee Moore was arrested Tuesday. Read more here.
