WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — Nikita Beasley and Tesha Shannon describe their brother, 45-year-old Terry Ivory, as someone who always had a smile.
That’s how they want to remember him because the family is still in shock after learning the tragic way in which their loved one was killed.
“That is something that could’ve been avoided,” Beasley said. “It didn’t have to happen.”
Police say on December 16, Ivory was walking along a service road off of I-30 along Cockrell Hill Road in Dallas when he was struck during a hit-and-run.
White Settlement police say the driver, 31-year-old Nestor Lujan Flores of Arlington, continued driving for nearly 40 miles with Terry’s lifeless body still inside the vehicle. Lujan Flores eventually stopped at a White Settlement Jack in the Box when the car broke down, police said.
A bystander noticed Lujan Flores slumped over the steering wheel and called 911. When police arrived, they discovered Ivory’s body in the front passenger seat and a strong smell of alcohol from inside the vehicle.
Police say Flores never reported the hit-and-run to law enforcement or called for help.
“It’s almost like a movie to hear the story and to know what happened… and then find out it’s your loved one… it’s difficult,” Beasley said as she held back tears in an interview with WFAA.
"That’s been the hardest part for me,” Shannon said. “Nobody wants to imagine that for somebody that they love and care about.”
Beasley recalled her final phone call with Ivory last week. Ivory, who was in and out of homelessness, was worried about the upcoming cold winter weather.
“He was an ‘I don’t wanna be a burden to anyone’ type of person,” Beasley said.
Ivory may have been homeless, but he was never alone, Beasley said. He had family members who checked on him constantly and friends in the community who looked out for him.
Beasley and Shannon said their strong-willed brother always tried to find his own way, often riding a bike to work.
“He was just always looking to do the best that he could,” Shannon said.
“He had such a good heart,” Shannon said. “Even with his situation, he would still find ways to help other people.”
That’s what they want their brother to be remembered for.
Records show that Lujan Flores was transferred and booked into the Dallas County Jail on Tuesday, December 19, on a charge of collision involving death.
Jail records also show officials have Lujan Flores on an ICE hold. WFAA is working to learn more about that information.
Tune in to WFAA at 10 p.m. to watch.