Illegal immigrant suspected in hit and run accident is still on the loose
Apr 30, 2007

When Marcos Hernandez Martinez reportedly failed to stop at a red light, it was Tara Loftis' life that came to a crashing halt. She says, "I had five pelvic fractures my shoulder, my elbow, my finger was all fractured." A violent car crash January 6th left Loftis in a wheelchair for 12 weeks, she says, and forced her to quit school and her job for a while. Her mother has kept track of the bills, medications, doctors visits that total close to six figures. Loftis still has scars from where glass dug into her.

"I'm angry my life got interrupted and there's nothing that will really be done unless they catch him," Loftis says.

Virginia Beach police say Martinez, who is 29, T-boned Loftis' Kia Rio at Virginia Beach Boulevard and Witchduck and then ran away. She adds, "I couldn't see how someone could just leave somebody to die like that :47 like they didn't even check to see was I alive."

But Loftis feels lucky after knowing how 16 year old Tessa Tranchant and 17 year old Alison Kunhardt died. Police say Alfredo Ramos, an illegal immigrant, killed the girls while drinking and driving. Martinez too is illegally in the country, according to officers. Loftis can't ignore the similarities, "I felt for the families because it reminded me of what happened to me and I was just was thinking it could have been-- like it could have been me that died."

And like Ramos, Martinez was arrested before his crash for being drunk in public. But Loftis realizes unlike Ramos; Martinez can victimize again, Loftis says, "I don't want this to happen to somebody else."

Virginia Beach police say Marcos Hernandez Martinez is about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 220 pounds. They say he has ties to Greenville, North Carolina. If you know where he is, call the Crime Line at 888-LOCKUUP.


Marcos Hernandez Martinez

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