by Adam Shear, Brandon Hartman, Bruce Gietzen and Christine McCarthy
UPDATE - Waco Police said Tuesday night they have found the truck believed to be involved in a hit and run incident that seriously injured a McLennan County Sheriff's Deputy.
Acting on a tip, investigators went to an address in Bellmead just after 6 p.m. where they located the red Ford Ranger pickup. A police spokesperson told News Channel 25 there appeared to be evidence linking it to the hit and run at Waco's Cameron Park.
The truck was taken to Waco P.D.'s laser lab for evidence retrieval. So far, there has been no arrest.
Deputy Tyrone Caldwell is still in critical condition, but improving at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center. A Facebook posting from a County employee said Caldwell was able to sit up, open his eyes, respond to commands and give a thumbs up.
A Facebook group set up to offer prayers and encouragement to Deputy Caldwell and his family already has more than 200 supporters.
One supporter wrote, "Ty is responding well... He squeezed my hand when I asked him to."
Another posted, "Saw Ty today, he's a fighter for sure... He's gonna be OK with the will he has."
The McLennan County Sheriff's Office is trying to figure out whether or not they will be able to pay out a reward of nearly $5,000 for information about the hit-and-run, since the tip caller remained anonymous.
WACO (UPDATE) - A $4,850 reward is now being offered by the Sheriffs Law Enforcement Association of McLennan Co. for any information that leads to the arrest of a man who ran into a local sheriff's deputy with his car then drove off. The Waco Police Association put in an additional $1,000 in Tuesday afternoon to help bring the criminal to justice.
McLennan Co. Sheriff's Deputy Tyrone Tyson Caldwell, 41 year old, was taken to Hillcrest Medical Center in critical condition after the accident Monday morning.
McLennan Co. Sheriffs Office, along with Waco Police Department, searched throughout McLennan Co. all day Tuesday to find the driver of the pick-up truck that hit the deputy.
"We're just shaking every tree that we can," said Larry Lynch, McLennan County Sheriff. "We've had our helicopter up. We are running down any leads that we obtained. We are sharing information with Waco PD, making a concentrated effort between the two law enforcement agencies to find this individual and bring them to justice."
Witnesses described the car that hit him as a 1997-2005 red Ford Ranger extended cab pick-up. The vehicle was reportedly damaged on its driver's side during the accident and the side mirror was knocked off.
If you have any information on this accident, you're urged to contact police.
In the mean time, a benefit account has been set up to help pay for Caldwell's medical expenses.
If you would like to donate please contact McLennan Co. Employees Federal Credit Union located at 215 N. 5th St.
The name of the account is the Tyrone Caldwell Benefit account.
WACO (Original Story) - A man taking a walk in Cameron Park was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in critical condition after being hit by a pick-up truck on Monday.
The victim, off-duty McLennan County Sheriff's Deputy Tyrone Tyson Caldwell, was walking with a woman down a steep hill near 4th St. and Sturgis Rd. when a 1997-2005 red Ford Ranger extended cab pick-up hit him. That vehicle then sped away towards Herring Avenue.
"This was just an unfortunate incident where the pedestrians were doing everything they were supposed to be doing," said Sgt. Patrick Swanton, Waco Police Department. "They were walking on the side facing oncoming traffic. The suspect vehicle veered across that lane of traffic and struck these people from behind."
People in the park rushed to the aide of Caldwell and emergency medical staff arrived in time to stabilize the 41 year-old Caldwell.
"I held his hand and just kept telling him 'hey squeeze my hand, show me some sign'," said George Morales, witness. "He was fighting me for awhile, so we kept yelling his name."
Police say the driver of that truck was a man wearing a blue shirt and that the pick-up had significant damage to the driver side. The driver side mirror was reportedly knocked off.
Anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Waco Police Department.
