Teen killed in hit-and-run; suspected drunken driver charged

Driver charged with failure to stop, render aid

DAYTON, Texas – A 17-year-old was hit and killed Monday by a suspected drunken driver in Dayton, police said.

According to police, Pamela Markham, 43, was driving along the 5700 block of FM 1409 around 9 p.m. Monday when she hit and killed 17-year-old George Hathcoat.

The victim's sister told Channel 2 that her brother was someone who would always make you laugh; someone who will not be forgotten. Her family is just devastated she said.

"Don't take your family for granted. The last conversation I had with my brother, we had an argument, and now he is gone." Samantha Hathcoat said.

Investigators said George Hatchcoat was lying in the middle of the road when one car swerved to hit him. He tried to get up and get out of the way, but Markham him, police said.

Hathcoast's family said he might have been playing a game of chicken when he was killed.

"My cousin was lying down in the road, (lying) there, intoxicated, and for some reason a family friend hit my cousin," said the family member, who did not want to be identified.

Investigators said Markham pulled over less than a quarter-mile from the accident and told her friend to tell police she was the driver. Then Markham left with her son, investigators said.

Markham's boyfriend, who also did not want to be identified, said there is more to the story.

"They thought they hit a deer. That's exactly what we were told. Nobody knew about a pedestrian. That's why they were on the side of the road, and she didn't want to get in trouble because she had a few drinks," he said. "But as soon as she got phone call, not 10 minutes later, (saying) no, it wasn't a deer, it was a person, her son himself turned right back around and took her back to the accident."

Markham's boyfriend said it's tragic because both families know each other very well and they are very close.

Markham is charged with failure to stop and render aid, DWI and intoxication manslaughter.

She is being held at the Liberty County Jail.