The Ellis County Press: Woman charged in fatal Bardwell hit-and-run

Woman charged in fatal Bardwell hit-and-run
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Editor on 08/31/2000 00:00:00


WAXAHACHIE - Blooming Grove's Ruth Demint, 57, faces a manslaughter charge from
a recent hit-and-run accident in Bardwell that resulted in the death of Amanda
Zapata, the 30-year-old mother of three daughters and three stepchildren.
Demint was arrested and arraigned this week.
Zapata was struck and killed Tuesday, Aug. 22, while walking along Highway 34
about 7:25 p.m., according to the investigating officer. She reportedly was on
her routine daily walk about a half mile east of Bardwell when Demint's
westbound vehicle apparently left its lane and struck Zapata.
The Ellis County Sheriff's Department identified a burned vehicle near the
Ellis-Navarro county line as the one involved in the incident.
A witness reported the burning vehicle on South Armstrong Road at Chambers Creek
at 5 a.m. The vehicle, engulfed in flames, caught a nearby birdge on fire.