The Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Man’s cell phone records could aid in probe into who hit cyclist
By Elaine Marsilio
Posted March 2, 2010 at 7:33 p.m.
CORPUS CHRISTI — Corpus Christi police are reviewing cell phone records of a man who owns a truck police believe struck and critically injured cyclist Barb Savell in July.
Savell was struck about 8 a.m. July 11 in the 5200 block of Ocean Drive, police have said.
In January, police interviewed the 27-year-old truck owner and his mother, who said her husband was driving their son’s truck the day Savell was hit.
The 27-year-old’s father died July 24 of liver cancer, police said. Police obtained the man’s medical records in January.
Schwartz said a doctor said the father underwent an outpatient procedure on July 10 and was able to walk out of the hospital that day.
“It could not really prove to me that he was incapacitated at the time of the accident,” Schwartz said.
For months, police only knew that a dark-colored truck struck Savell until a Crime Stoppers tip Jan. 13 led investigators to a home in the 2800 block of Lawnview Street with a damaged 1998 black Ford F-150 in its driveway.
Police still are investigating who was driving the day Savell was hit.
Police obtained the 27-year-old man’s cell phone records from July 10-12 and noted the phone was used the evening of July 10 until about 2:49 a.m. July 11. The phone was used again from 7:05 a.m. until 7:23 a.m. July 11. Between that time and 10 a.m. the phone activity stops. At about 10 a.m., the man’s workplace called his cell phone and left a voice mail, according to an application to obtain further phone records including the location of cell phone towers.
The document said the man was expected at work about 8:30 a.m. Police have said he didn’t show up for work that day.
Investigator Sgt. David Schwartz said the cell tower information, which he got in late February, will help police determine where the man was that day.
Schwartz wouldn’t elaborate on the information he is reviewing because it is evidence in an ongoing investigation.
