EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — October is Pedestrian Safety Month, a time when state and local officials urge drivers and pedestrians to stay alert. For one El Paso family, that message hits painfully close to home.
Nearly three months after 77-year-old Maria Angelica Lopez was struck and killed while crossing Alameda Avenue, her family is still waiting for justice.
Police say Lopez was crossing near Alameda and Gibraltar on July 19 when she was hit by a driver who didn’t stop. She died at the scene. Investigators later located the vehicle and identified 28-year-old Melanie Christine Cuéllar as the suspected driver. Cuéllar is wanted on a charge of collision involving death and has not been found, according to El Paso Police.
“People say time makes it easier, but it’s actually the opposite,” Lopez’s daughter, Viviana Lopez, told KTSM. “It hurts more every day especially knowing she’s still out there.”
Viviana Lopez says her mother was “just a couple of steps from making it to the curb” when the SUV hit her.
“She was almost there,” she said.
According to TxDOT’s latest available data from 2024, there were 182 crashes involving pedestrians in El Paso County, resulting in 19 deaths and 31 serious injuries. TxDOT says pedestrian crashes often increase during the fall as daylight hours shorten, making it harder for drivers to see people crossing the road.
El Paso Police said updated data for 2025 isn’t yet available but note that driver inattention, speeding, and pedestrians not using crosswalks remain among the leading causes of deadly pedestrian crashes.
Viviana Lopez hopes sharing her mother’s story reminds drivers to slow down and stay focused.
“Don’t be on your phone, don’t drink,” she said. “It’s a life that’s taken and you can’t take that back.”
Anyone with information on Melanie Christine Cuéllar’s whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at (915) 566-8477 (TIPS). Callers can remain anonymous.
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