AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — A 19-year-old man, Elijah Rey Garcia, remains at large after failing to surrender following a crash on Friday that involved a fuel tanker and the ABC 7 studios.
As of 4 p.m. Sunday, Garcia had not turned himself in at the Potter County Jail. Authorities said he allegedly ran a flashing red light at Southeast 11th Avenue and South Pierce Street, resulting in a collision with a fuel truck that subsequently crashed into the ABC 7 building, causing significant structural damage. The affected area has been designated off-limits.
Garcia reportedly left the scene prior to the arrival of police and initially indicated he would voluntarily surrender the next day, according to the Amarillo Police Department (APD) crash report. That intention did not materialize.
Sgt. Carla Burr of the APD stated that due to the misdemeanor nature of the charge, an arrest warrant would be issued regardless of whether Garcia turned himself in. “We will pick him up eventually,” Burr said.
The crash report noted multiple open alcoholic beverage containers found in Garcia's pickup. Investigators identified alcohol consumption and running a red light as contributing factors to the crash.
Garcia has been implicated in three additional criminal incidents within the past two months, including charges of driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance on July 15, as well as a firearm discharge incident on June 21. He now faces a total of four alleged criminal charges in less than seven weeks.