Police searching for driver who left scene that killed tow truck operator

The Corpus Christi Police Department is searching for a driver that left the scene of a deadly crash that left a tow truck operator dead on South Padre Island Drive Thursday morning.

The crash happened shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday on the eastbound side of 6500 block of South Padre Island Drive near Airline Drive.

A maroon Hyndaui Sonata was found at the Sugar Tree Apartments around 12:30 pm after police were dispatched to the apartment complex after someone found human matter on the damaged front end of the Sonata.

Hit and Run Vehicle found at Sugar Tree Apartments

Corpus Christi Police are currently knocking on doors asking for residents who may have seen the driver on cameras and one resident believes that the vehicle belongs to another residents boyfriend in the complex.

Tow Truck Operator killed in deadly crash identified

The tow truck operator was side-swiped by a vehicle that fled the scene and police had to shut down the freeway as investigators went over evidence. Police found a purple side view mirror left at the scene. A witness said the tow truck operator died on impact.

Scene of the deadly hit and run accident on SPID Thursday morning.

The tow truck operator has been identified as 40 year old Zachary Starbuck. He was working for Momento Towing LLC and was on the job recovering a vehicle on the emergency lane of SPID.