Good Samaritan Helps In Arrest Of Hit And Run Driver

A pair of best friends, who had just moved to Oklahoma, were on their way to the grocery store last Sunday afternoon when they were hit head-on by another driver, who would've gotten away had it not been for a bystander's quick action.

Sunday, February 8th 2015, 11:09 pm

By: News 9


A pair of best friends, who had just moved to Oklahoma, were on their way to the grocery store last Sunday afternoon when they were hit head-on by another driver, who would've gotten away had it not been for a bystander's quick action.

A turn on South May Avenue at the I-240 Service Road intersection took a turn for the worse.

"We were stopped at the light making a left-hand turn, and out of the corner of my eye I could see this red truck just barreling for me. It didn't slow down. It didn't swerve and just hit the back end of my car, and we were up on two wheels at one point and flipped all the way around," said Robin Windsor, who was driving.

Both Windsor and her friend Sherry Despain had been hit and hurt. The man who slammed into their car took off. That's until Edgar Ochoa spotted the man in the Taco Bell parking lot and started following him all the way to a nearby church.

“He blew through some stop signs and nearly ran over some kids in a church parking lot. I thought it was not fair to hit and run. It was irresponsible. So I said, ‘I'm following him,'” said Ochoa.

"He stopped and got out and took off running. Then turned around and tried to get in my truck, and that's when I hit him, and he fell on the ground."

Then Ochoa sat on top of 30-year-old Tomas Cardenas until police arrived and arrested him.

"He's our hero," said Despain.

Now, one week after saving the day, the two friends reunited with Ochoa and his family by the Oklahoma River for a picnic.

"We needed to say thank you. I felt it was very important because Edgar risked his life for us, and then when I found out his wife and children were in the car, I couldn't believe it,” Windsor said.

“The man was very dangerous. He had 10 outstanding warrants. He left the scene of an accident. I just couldn't believe it, and Edgar risked his life for us."

Even though the suspect offered Ochoa $100 to let him go, Edgar says his focus was helping people, even total strangers.

"We didn't have friends around here, but we do now, so I think that things happen for a reason," Ochoa said.

"I think we'll be friends for life," Windsor said.

Both women went to the hospital with bruises and Edgar also fractured his hand, but all are expected to be okay. Cardenas now sits in the Oklahoma County Jail on $16,500 bail.

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