After Deztiny Rodriguez, 18, was killed in a hit-and-run crash, her mother started seeking justice and demanding safer roads in Fort Bend County.
FRESNO, Texas — A Fort Bend County mother is demanding change after her daughter, 18-year-old Deztiny Rodriguez, was killed in a tragic hit-and-run just months before graduation.
The collision happened on Evergreen Street, near South Post Oak Boulevard on Saturday, March 22. It’s a stretch of road flanked by ditches on either side, with no stop signs or signals — less than a mile from the family’s home.
According to investigators, Deztiny was walking on the road’s edge with her boyfriend that night. Just after 10:30 p.m., a red Chevy Equinox struck her from behind. Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s camera shows the vehicle speeding away.
While the 18-year-old was taken to the hospital via medical helicopter, she died from her injuries the following morning.
A growing memorial now stands where Deztiny was hit — flowers, candles, and photos mark the spot. For her mother, Lupe Vazquez, it’s a daily reminder of the unimaginable loss.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Vazquez said. “Reality still hasn’t sunk in. It feels like a nightmare for all of us.”
The suspect, Darius Bertrand Dickerson, was arrested two days after the collision. Court records show that he called the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and said he was “involved in an accident” on March 22, but initially denied hitting anyone.
Dickerson later admitted to stopping further down the street before leaving the scene. Investigators also found part of his vehicle’s bumper left behind.
“It makes me so angry that he didn’t even stop to help, didn’t call 911,” Vazquez said. “I just wonder if he had called, would my daughter still be here today?”
Dickerson was released after posting a $100,000 bond.
Meanwhile, Vazquez told KHOU 11 she wants safer roads in her community – including sidewalks, stop signs, and speed bumps on Evergreen Street.
“People drive like it’s a highway, but it’s not. Something has to change,” she said.
Vazquez said her family will remember Deztiny as a passionate young woman with big dreams, preparing to enlist in the military after graduation this spring.
On Saturday, March 29, friends and loved ones will hold a benefit sale to cover funeral expenses and continue the fight for safer streets. The event will take place at 10 a.m. next to La Fresno Food Market at 1306 Trammel Fresno Road.