ODESSA, Texas —
Runners across West Texas came together Thursday to raise awareness for runner safety in the Permian Basin, but this was no random event.
About 2 months ago, a runner from San Antonio, Rebecca Gartrell, was running near Highway 302 in West Odessa when she was hit by a car and killed. The driver fled the scene and has not been brought to justice.
This is where the running community comes in. Several groups across West Texas came together and have pledged $1,000 to Crime Stoppers in an effort to get information that will lead to finding the driver who hit Rebecca.
"We have a big running community in West Texas, and we know that it's a right to enjoy the things that we do, it's a human right, but we also want to make sure that we feel safe doing the thing that we love," Allan Espina, a runner with the West Texas Gazelles running club said.
DPS has a few runner safety tips. They recommend you wear bright colors or lights, let your loved ones know where and when you're running just in case anything happens, if you must run on the road, run against the flow of traffic so drivers see you and make sure to keep that music volume in check so you can hear your surroundings.
If you have any information that might help in finding the driver who hit Rebecca, contact Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS.
