Police in Texas need the public's help piecing together a mystery involving a teenage driver who was found covered in blood. When Tarrant County sheriff's deputies arrived at a crash scene in the early morning hours of June 24, they reportedly found Aaron Richard, 18, and his truck, covered in blood. But authorities claim the blood doesn't appear to have anything to do with the car accident and that Richard refuses to tell them where it came from.
According to a news release from the sheriff's department posted on Facebook, Richard and his truck were both covered in blood that didn't belong to the teen, and police are desperately searching for answers.
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Deputies arrived at the accident scene just before 2 a.m.
Per the sheriff's office, deputies were called to the scene a few minutes before 2 a.m. after receiving reports of a serious motor vehicle accident. When they arrived, they allegedly found Richard and his 1997 white Chevrolet pickup truck covered in blood.
"There is noticeable damage to the driver's side door, the tailgate, and front left quarter panel. A traffic cone was found in the bed of the pickup," the media release reads. "There is a large amount of blood along the driver's side A-frame, as well as the outside of the bed. The back window of the pickup also has some writing on it."
Richard apparently didn't want to talk.
When asked about the source of the blood, which reportedly didn't belong to him, Richard allegedly refused to talk.
"The driver was uncooperative when asked about the source of the blood," police reported. Richard was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, per WFAA.
Police want the public's help figuring out what happened.
The sheriff's office's Facebook comment section is filled with internet sleuths trying to crack the case. Some thought Richard may have hit an animal.
"Maybe he hit a deer and maybe he was uncooperative bc he was high or drunk," one person wrote.
"Front end hit a deer or person, no blood yet cause internal wasn't that bad if he loaded and it leaked down the truck I have seen this from head and internal injuries comes from mouth or nose, he probably was a Lil drunk when he picked them up or realized it was illegal for deer if he didn't call in tags and or the person was not gonna survive and dropped them idk. but also window is broken could be fighting with friend and caused some wounds," another comment reads.
It is not yet clear, however, whether the blood found on the vehicle and on Richards is human blood.
Others think something more sinister happened.
"The way that blood is all over, more so smeared looks like it could have been from a stabbing of some sort or brutal beating and like the victim maybe tried to get away but couldn't go very far since they were bleeding out everywhere," one person suggested. "Super suspect he wouldn't say. Maybe the traffic cone has nothing to do with the blood? Who knows?"
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Others wonder if Richard was involved in another accident.
"This maybe linked to the girl who fell out her mom's car while she was drunk she was struck by multiple cars," one person wrote. "the cars all stopped except one. He kept going I think this was Mansfield."
Sherryta Smith wrote on Facebook that her daughter was involved in a hit-and-run accident around 1 a.m. in Mansfield, Texas, the same day, and she wants help finding anyone with information.
"If you were driving down 917 coming from Mansfield at 1 am this morning and you felt that you hit something and thought it was a animal it wasn't. IT WAS MY DAUGHTER! TWO PEOPLE RAN OVER HER BODY AND NEVER STOPPED! Please if anyone knows something come forward," she wrote in her post.
Anyone with information about Richard is asked to call the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division at 817-884-1305 and reference report #2024-08630.
