Temple Police Search for Driver After Hit-and-Run Kills Woman, 25, on Charter Oak Drive

What Happened on Charter Oak Drive?

A 25-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run in Temple early on Sunday, July 26, 2026, according to KWTX and 25 News KXXV, both citing the Temple Police Department.

Police say officers were called around 12:07 a.m. to the 5300 block of Charter Oak Drive for a reported hit-and-run. When they arrived, they found Alexandria Rodriguez had been struck by a vehicle. Officers began lifesaving measures until EMS arrived and took over her care. Rodriguez was taken to a hospital, where she later died of her injuries. No other injuries were reported.

Preliminary information indicates the vehicle was traveling northbound on Charter Oak Drive when Rodriguez was hit, police said. The driver did not remain at the scene.

The Temple Police Department’s Traffic Unit is asking anyone who witnessed the crash, or who has surveillance or dash camera video from the area, to contact the Temple Police Department or Bell County Crime Stoppers, whose contact numbers are listed in the KWTX report. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers. Police said the investigation is ongoing and that no additional information would be released at this time.

Hit-and-Run and Pedestrian Deaths in Texas

Texas records one of the highest pedestrian death totals in the country. The Texas Department of Transportation publishes statewide pedestrian safety data, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that most pedestrian deaths happen after dark and away from intersections.

Texas law also spells out what a driver must do after a collision involving a person. Chapter 550 of the Texas Transportation Code sets out the duties to stop immediately, remain at the scene, give identifying information, and render reasonable assistance. Under that chapter, leaving the scene of a crash that results in death is charged as a felony. Whether and how those provisions apply here is a question for the police investigation and the Bell County prosecutors, and no one has been identified or charged in initial reports.

Who Can Be Affected?

• Ms. Rodriguez’s surviving spouse, children, and parents
• Family members left with funeral and burial costs and the loss of a 25-year-old relative
• Neighbors or drivers who were on Charter Oak Drive just after midnight Sunday and have not yet spoken to police
• Households and businesses along that stretch with doorbell, security, or dash camera systems that may have recorded the vehicle

What Kind of Claim Might Apply?

Attorneys who handle Texas hit-and-run cases generally describe several paths that can apply once the facts are established. Which of them fits any particular family depends on findings that have not been made yet in this case:

• A wrongful death and survival claim — under Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, the surviving spouse, children, and parents of a person killed by another’s wrongful act can generally seek compensation, and the estate can bring a survival claim of its own.
• Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage when the driver is never identified — the Texas Department of Insurance explains that uninsured motorist coverage can apply when the at-fault driver has no insurance, and it is one of the first policies attorneys look at in a hit-and-run. A person struck while walking may be covered by a policy in their own household even though they were not in a car.
• Finding the vehicle — attorneys often canvass for private video, request the police crash and scene reports, and look for vehicle debris and body-shop or salvage records. Home and business camera systems commonly overwrite footage within days.
• A criminal case and a civil case are separate — a felony prosecution under Chapter 550 is brought by the State, and it does not by itself compensate a family. A civil claim is a separate track that a family pursues on its own, and it can move forward even when no criminal charge is filed.
• Roadway and lighting conditions — where a person was walking, how the street was lit, and whether a sidewalk or crossing existed are part of what investigators and attorneys examine after a pedestrian death.

None of this assumes fault on anyone’s part, and police have not identified a driver or a vehicle. It reflects the questions Texas attorneys say grieving families often ask after a fatal hit-and-run, and the evidence they typically want preserved before conclusions are drawn.

Why Acting Quickly Can Matter

For most Texas wrongful death cases, the statute of limitations is generally two years — a lawyer can explain how those deadlines apply to a specific situation. When no driver has been identified, the practical deadline is often much shorter than the legal one: neighborhood security video is overwritten, a damaged vehicle can be repaired, sold, or scrapped, and memories of a Saturday night fade. Many families choose to have a lawyer begin an independent review early, alongside the police investigation rather than after it.

Sources

1. KWTX — Temple police seek driver after hit-and-run crash kills 25-year-old woman
2. 25 News KXXV — Temple police investigate fatal hit-and-run crash on Charter Oak Drive
3. Texas Department of Transportation — Pedestrian safety
4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Pedestrian safety
5. Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 550 (Accidents and Accident Reports)
6. Texas Department of Insurance — Auto insurance guide (uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage)
7. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 71 (Wrongful Death; Survival)
8. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 16 (Limitations)