A hit-and-run driver killed a pedestrian with his car then continued driving with their ‘mangled corpse’ in his passenger seat, police said.
Paul Joseph Garcia, 24, hit the pedestrian with his Ford Focus at the intersection of West Slaughter Lane and Menchaca Road in Austin, Texas on Saturday night.
The victim had been pushing a shopping cart across the intersection and the impact from the crash sent them through Garcia’s windshield, according to Austin police.
However, Garcia did not stop. Instead he continued driving for at least a half-mile to a beer garden with the victim’s ‘mangled corpse’ in his car, leaving a trail of debris and body parts in its wake, the affidavit says.
The pedestrian, who has not been identified, reportedly suffered severe head injuries and some of their body parts had been detached, according to USA Today.
Garcia proceeded to drive to South Austin Beer Garden and witnesses told police he walked inside calmly with no shoes on ‘in a manner that caught the attention of the other patrons.’
He was not served any alcohol by the beer garden and was detained by police, who were called to the scene shortly after 10:30pm.
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Police conducted a sobriety test which indicated Garcia was drunk and he was arrested.
According to the affidavit, car parts and body parts lined the road for a half-mile. There were no brake marks where at the site of the devastating crash.
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Witnesses told police Garcia had been driving without his headlights on.
Garcia was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter and accident involving injury.
He is being held at the Travis County Correctional Complex with a combained bail of $110,000.