APD needs help solving hit and runs

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Police Department is asking for help in solving two hit and run deaths from the past two weeks. In each case, a man was hit and killed and the driver sped away.

"When we lose a member of the community, their families are looking towards us to give them answers," said APD Sgt. Jeff Slater.

The family of Osmin Cisneros wants to know who hit the man while he was walking along the I 35 service road near 183 just after 11:00 p.m. on February 18.

"We're all very sad because he's been taken from us," his cousin, Josesue Castro said through an interpreter. "He was a good person. He was always smiling."

The only lead detectives have right now is that the person who hit Cisneros was driving a red truck.

"We really need help from the community to help give us some leads," said Slater.

Police are also trying to solve the hit and run death of George Seale, 72. He was walking along the Southbound I 35 service road on February 22 just before 4:00 a.m. Detectives think the car that hit Seale was maroon or burgundy, but that is all the information they have.

"When you hit somebody with a vehicle, you may think that's the end of that person," said Slater. "It's not, we have a phenomenal trauma center here in Austin and if we could get that individual to that trauma center, their chances of surviving this are pretty good."

In 2012 alone, there were 12 people hit and killed by cars in Austin, where the person in the car did not stop to help.