Woman dragged under truck sues driver, who is in the country illegally

KXAN Published: May 23, 2016, 11:40 am Updated: May 23, 2016, 1:30 pm



Avila, who is under an ICE detainer as an illegal alien, charged with hitting bicyclist Elizabeth English. (APD)



AUSTIN, TEXAS (KXAN) — A woman dragged for more than a third of a mile, after being hit by a truck, is suing the man accused of hitting her.

Elizabeth English was riding her bicycle in East Austin back on March 29 when she was hit near Airport Boulevard and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. She’s now suing Artemio Gomez Avila and is asking for $1 million in damages.

“My life did not flash before my eyes, but in my head I kept repeating ‘this is not how I die,’” said English at a news conference.

Police say the driver kept going, even though English was trapped underneath. Witnesses reported hearing her screaming as the truck dragged her. English eventually managed to free herself from the truck and fell to the pavement.

“Someone in the neighborhood covered up what was left of me with a blanket,” English said. “I lost my leg and my pelvis and a lot of things but the upper half [of her body] was saved and that’s where all the good stuff is,” as she motions upwards towards her face.

The next day, an Austin Police Department officer on his way home from work noticed the suspect’s truck. He was familiar with the suspect vehicle because he was involved in the crash scene investigation the night before. Damage observed to the vehicle included blood on the hood and fresh paint scrapes.

Avila eventually admitted to police he was involved in the crash, claiming to have heard a “slight bump on the passenger side of the truck,” as stated in the affidavit.

Avila was also being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer. The agency told KXAN at the time in a statement, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer with Travis County Jail on Artemio Gomez-Avla on March 31.

ICE is focused on smart and effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of convicted criminal aliens, recent border crossers and immigration fugitives who have failed to comply with final orders of removal issued by the nation’s immigration courts.”

Family and friends have setup a GoFundMe account to help English with her medical bills.

Woman dragged under truck sues driver, who is in the country illegally ...