A 15-year-old girl’s tragic death, linked to a trash truck in a seemingly safe neighborhood, leaves the community and police seeking clarity amid early morning darkness.
SAN ANTONIO — A 15-year-old girl is dead and police are investigating the circumstances that led to her apparently being run over by a commercial trash collection truck.
Investigators have said video evidence indicates the driver of the truck, who was making his regular collection route, didn’t know about the impact.
Police said the calls for help started coming in around 6 a.m. as people in the Camaron Townhomes and Flats began their day in the early morning darkness.
They believe the teen’s body had been in the parking lot in the 6000 block of Danny Kaye Drive for an hour or more before she was discovered.
SAPD Sgt. Rogelio Cardenas said “EMS got here first and found her dead there inside the parking lot. She lives here with her family in an apartment.”
Cardenas said they had not found any witnesses who saw the impact, but they do have video.
“After looking at some video, it’s apparent that it is not criminal. We have the person that hit her and it doesn’t appear that he knew what was going on,” Cardenas said, adding that at this point they aren’t looking for any other drivers.
Cardenas said the teen’s family was notified right away and they are speaking with relatives about why the girl may have been outside in the dark.
Jaclyn Martinez lives nearby and she said it was obvious that detectives were being very thorough.
“You see the cops back there taking pictures of the garbage truck, going under the truck with the cameras, taking photos and them just pointing at certain areas where the impact was,” Martinez said.
Neighbor Bobby Hill said the complex has always been a safe space where people feel comfortable.
“It’s a nice community. People walk up and down every day, you know, people be exercising or people just be walking, so it’s hard to believe. It’s just sad that people just, you know, young lady just walking wherever she’s walking to and her life ended like that. It’s just so sad to see,” Hill said.
KENS 5 did reach out to the company for additional information, and we are still waiting for a response.
The medical examiner’s office identified her as Ziba Mir Shadad. Northside ISD officials said she was a 10th grader at Marshall High School. School counselors will be available this week to provide support to students.