Parents of 8-year-old boy killed in Pharr crash file wrongful death lawsuit
The parents of 8-year-old Caleb Ramirez filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pharr Police Department and the teen who was identified as the driver they say hit and killed the boy in an April crash.
Caleb's parents, Sonia Hernandez and Jose Ramirez, are seeking $1 million in damages.
The lawsuit, which was filed on July 16, also names the parents and other relatives of the accused driver, Alex Castillo, and accuses them of gross negligence.
Caleb died after he was struck by a GMC Sierra truck on April 26 at the 700 block of East Eller Street while riding his bicycle near his home.
Alex Castillo was identified as the driver of the truck and did not have a license at the time of the crash, the lawsuit stated. He was cited for being behind the wheel on the day of the crash, but no other charges were filed.
The investigation was closed back in May following a decision from a Hidalgo County grand jury.
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The lawsuit states Caleb looked both ways before crossing the street on his bike when, "without warning," Castillo rapidly accelerated, striking and plowing Caleb over.
The lawsuit claims Castillo failed to immediately stop and render aid. Instead, Castillo continued to speed down the street "until witnesses flagged him down and made him return."
Sonia and Jose, through their attorney, have made open records requests to the city of Pharr and the Pharr Police Department asking for records such as incident reports, body camera and dash cam footage, witness statements, call logs, field notes and toxicology reports, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Castillo is "guilty of gross negligence" and his parents, Aurea and Vicente, are "vicariously liable" for his conduct, since he was a minor at the time of the crash.
The lawsuit is also accusing Alex's older brother, Orlando, of gross negligence. It claims Orlando was the owner of the truck and entrusted the vehicle to Alex, "who he knew was unlicensed, incompetent and reckless."
Sonia and Jose also requested a temporary restraining order against the Pharr Police Department, Alex and his family to "restrain them from tampering with, altering, spoliating, and/or hiding relevant evidence in this case," according to the lawsuit.
Pharr city leaders declined to comment on the lawsuit.