DALLAS COUNTY, Texas - A woman has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a truck driver on Interstate 20 after a local business recognized a damaged company vehicle from news reports and contacted investigators.
The Dallas County Sheriff's Office announced that Elana Kaye Peronis was arrested on a charge of collision involving death following an investigation by the agency's Vehicle Crimes Unit.
According to the sheriff's office, investigators received information on July 16 from the owner of a local business after media coverage described the suspect vehicle involved in the fatal crash.
The business owner reported that one of its drivers had returned a company van with damage consistent with the vehicle investigators had been searching for.
According to investigators, the driver told the business she believed she had struck a dog.
Vehicle Crimes Unit detectives immediately began investigating the tip, collected evidence and developed probable cause to seek an arrest warrant.
Peronis was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Dallas County Jail.
The investigation began shortly after 12:20 a.m. on July 15, when Dallas County Sheriff's Office traffic deputies responded to a major crash on eastbound Interstate 20 between Dowdy Ferry Road and St. Augustine Road.
According to the preliminary investigation, the driver of an 18-wheeler had stopped on the highway shoulder after experiencing mechanical problems. A second truck driver arrived to deliver a replacement part and assist with repairs.
While the disabled truck's driver was outside making repairs, investigators said a vehicle left the roadway, traveled onto the shoulder and struck him.
The driver of the vehicle fled the scene without stopping to render aid or report the crash.
The Dallas County Sheriff's Office credited the business owner for coming forward after recognizing the vehicle described in media reports, saying the tip was instrumental in advancing the investigation.
The charge against Peronis is an allegation, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The investigation remains ongoing.
