Firefighter's daughter severely injured in hit-and-run crash wants to find culprit

SAPD thinks driver who caused that crash caused another right after, fled

SAN ANTONIO – With injuries from head-to-toe, the 24-year-old daughter of a San Antonio firefighter tries to recall a terrible car wreck. San Antonio police detectives told Rachael Connally's family, the driver who caused the crash left the scene and then possibly caused another wreck.

Monday was Rachael Connally's first day sitting up in a wheelchair after almost two weeks in the intensive care unit.

"Starting from the bottom I have two fractured ankles that I just got new casts on today which is pretty cool," she said. 

She also has a fractured wrist and a damaged intestine surgeons had to repair.

A brain bleed and head trauma caused memory issues but there were witnesses who told police what happened at 7:20 p.m. Valentine’s Day. 

"From what I've been told this guy or girl whoever, came up behind me, and hit me while I was in the left hand lane of Blanco Road and caused me to hit the median and my car actually went airborne and slammed face on into another vehicle," Rachael said.

Pictures of her car show the back bent in from someone rear-ending her, and the front is destroyed from the head-on collision. 

"It was like a nightmare scenario for me," said Rachael's dad Reagan Connally. 

Reagan has been a San Antonio firefighter and paramedic for 24 years. Two weeks ago he almost ended up at his daughter's wreck. 

"If I hadn't been on a call already I very likely would have been the one to make the scene. And that would have not been a good situation for me," he said.

He says it was his work family who kept his daughter alive. 

"The guys in the fire department, they're my brothers. They did a great job so I really really appreciate that," he said with tears in his eyes. 

It was tough news for both dad and daughter finding out the person who caused the crash never stopped. 

"Obviously I was furious," Reagan said.

That anger was magnified when they found out police believe the same driver caused another crash 10 minutes later on the same road and left that scene as well. The crash Rachael was in happened at 7:20 p.m. in the 22100 block of Blanco Road and the second crash happened at 7:30 p.m.18100 block of Blanco. 

"I'm not sure why anybody would just keep going. I'm pretty sure I've hit squirrels and stopped to see what was going on so it's really upsetting to know somebody could hit not only me but cause damage to another family and just keep going. Hopefully somebody will step forward and help find the guy who did this," Rachael said. 

SAPD is still looking for the driver who will be charged with failure to stop and render aid when found. That person was in a white ford truck with red writing on the side. Anyone with information is asked to call SAPD at (210) 207-7273. 

"Most likely they will do this again. That's my concern," Reagan said.

While the Connally family hopes for help from the public, the main focus is on recovery. They say Rachael being in the hospital long term has racked up quite a bill.

"It gets pretty expensive," Rachael said.

"We have a lot of resources from the fire department," Reagan said. "Our local union has stepped forward and been very helpful. Our Family Assistance Committee has set up a GoFundMe account for Rachael and hopefully that will defray some of the costs. We have people just walking up and donating baked goods and meals so we've had help along the way and it's the only way we could have gotten through it."


About the Author:

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.