CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas —
Garner Burford told police he was not paying attention and was looking at his phone before he rear-ending another vehicle in a hit-and-run accident at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in the 2900 block of South Padre Island Drive near Kostoryz.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by 3NEWS, the 31-year-old man told Corpus Christi Police Department officers he did not see the car driven by 27-year-old Marissa A. Mendoza after the crash and assumed it had continued driving, so he left the scene.
Burford told police that when the cars hit, his airbags deployed and caused his glasses to break or fall off his face.
Mendoza's car left the highway and hit the Oh My Goodness craft store. She died at the scene, and a 23-year-old male passenger in the vehicle with her was treated at a local hospital.
Once in police custody, Burford was taken to Christus Spohn Shoreline where the report states he was medically cleared. He then was taken to the City Detention Center for booking.
Investigators obtained a warrant for Burford for accident involving injury or death on a bond of $75,000.
Digital content producer Emily Salazar contributed to this story.
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