A Texas man is facing a 15-year prison sentence after a horrific incident where he struck a pedestrian, sending the victim through his windshield and then drove nearly 40 miles with the deceased beside him.

Nestor Lujan Flores has admitted guilt to charges of intoxication manslaughter and causing a fatal collision, leading to his sentencing. The tragic event unfolded on December 16, 2023, when Flores, who was 31 at the time, was traveling on the I-30 service road in Dallas.

According to prosecutors, the impact of the collision was so intense that it propelled the pedestrian into Flores’ vehicle. A press release stated, “The evidence indicated the crash was so forceful that the victim was launched into the car.” Remains of the victim were later discovered at the scene of the accident.

As reported by the local ABC affiliate WFAA, an arrest affidavit revealed that the victim’s body was found in a grisly state, positioned upside down in the passenger seat with the head on the floorboard and the legs missing.

Previously covered by Law&Crime, White Settlement police detailed in a news release that officers responded to a call at a Jack in the Box on the 8700 block of Interstate Highway 30 service road. The caller described a gray Kia Forte with significant front-end damage and a shattered windshield, noting the driver appeared slumped over the wheel.

As Law&Crime previously reported, police in White Settlement said in a news release that officers were called to a Jack in the Box restaurant in the 8700 block of Interstate Highway 30 service road. The caller said a gray Kia Forte had extensive front-end and hood damage along with a shattered windshield. A man also appeared slumped over the steering wheel.

An officer arrived and realized there was also a dead person in the passenger seat.

The officer removed Lujan Flores from the car.

White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook told reporters the man was confused and claimed he thought he hit an animal. Paramedics responded and pronounced the passenger dead. The car had been parked at the restaurant parking lot for two or three hours before someone called 911.

Police were initially uncertain where the actual crash occurred, but the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office the next morning discovered a crash scene on the westbound service road of Interstate Highway 30 near Cockrell Hill Road. Sheriff’s office investigators found “human remains” at the crash site that belonged to the victim found in the restaurant parking lot.

Lujan Flores hit the pedestrian and proceeded to drive 38 miles to the restaurant. He never called police. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation since the crash happened in that jurisdiction. Officials did not publicly identify the victim.

The suspect has a previous conviction in 2021 for driving while intoxicated in Collin County. The Plano Police Department arrested him on the same charge in 2020, the news release said.

“This case is a stark reminder of the devastation caused by impaired driving,” Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said in a statement. “The victim lost his life, and a family was forever changed. This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s actions and holds him accountable for the harm he caused.”