SNYDER, Texas — A mother and son duo out of Houston are currently recovering after being the victims of a hit and run.
Marisa Hayden Upshaw and her son Riley Hayden-Hayes were traveling north on highway 84 towards Snyder on February 6th when they were struck by a semi-truck who then fled the scene.
Both Upshaw and her son own a pet sitting and transport company called Ruby Slippers Pet Concierge. The family was completing a transport with pets in their car when the crash happened.
“My heart just dropped, dropped in my body because I couldn’t believe somebody would cause something like that and then not stop to help,” said Upshaw.
Hayes was pinned behind the wheel, needing the jaws of life to get removed from the car. He was then airlifted to University Medical Center.
“I was in so much shock and had woken up to this. So, the first thing I did was kind of say, ‘Oh my God, Oh my God. The windshield was all crashed in, there was glass everywhere, I could smell burning and I looked over at my son and he was pinned in the front seat,” said Upshaw.
Upsaw said a driver behind them who saw the crash witnessed the truck driver hesitating and then leaving.
“He had an opportunity to be a human being and stop and do the right thing. He didn’t have to leave like that,” said Upshaw.
Upshaw is currently recovering from injured discs, pinched nerves and a broken finger, while her son luckily left the hospital with scrapes and bruises. They were put out of work until they could find a new transport vehicle.
Despite the traumatic incident, Upshaw and her son still made it their goal to finish the pet transport and get them home, the animals only facing a few bruises while being shaken up.
Now, the family just wants the driver to come forward and take responsibility.
“We don’t want to wreck this person’s life. We just want to find them and hold them accountable and get justice for this,” said Upshaw.
They are currently looking for any information, surveillance videos and tips on a flatbed trailer with a load on it, driven by a semi-truck. Upshaw said the truck was heading south towards Snyder on highway 84 at around 6 in the morning.
For more information on the family business, you can visit their Facebook here. To help with medical expenses you can donate to their GoFundMe here or their Venmo here.
