Driver using cellphone strikes man at Circle K, blows out tires while trying to flee, police say​

SAN ANTONIO – Hollywood Park police arrested Andrea Tamez after authorities say she struck a man at a Circle K convenience store and tried to take off but blew out two of her car's tires.

Tamez, 31, was taken into custody Tuesday night and is facing a felony charge of failure to stop and render aid.

Officers with the Hollywood Park Police Department were called around 10:50 p.m. to the Circle K in the 200 block of North Loop 1604 East for a report of a hit-and-run crash.

At the location, a man told police he was walking from the fuel pumps to the store's front doors when a white car struck him, causing him to flip onto the vehicle's engine hood.

When the car stopped, the man said he slid off the engine hood and onto the ground. He was treated by emergency medical personnel and is expected to be OK, police said.

Police said the driver, Tamez, did not exit her vehicle and fled the scene. When she tried to exit the parking lot, Tamez struck a curb, causing two of her car's tires to blow from the force of the impact.

Despite the blown tires, police said Tamez continued to drive down Voigt Drive, where she was spotted two blocks away from the Circle K by an HPPD officer.

Police said Tamez was not found to be intoxicated but admitted she was distracted by her cellphone while driving through the store's parking lot.

Her license was found to be invalid, police said.

According to online records, Tamez has since been released from custody after posting a $15,000 bond.

Online records also show Tamez was arrested in April 2018 for driving while intoxicated and spent four months in the Bexar County Jail. She was released from jail on Aug. 1, 2018.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed with the Bexar County District Attorney's Office.