Benjamin Lee Faulk was just taking care of a routine task along Highway 172 near La Ward on September 7. The 36-year-old New Braunfels native had pulled over to fix a tire on a travel trailer. Out of nowhere, a passing vehicle struck him on the shoulder. Instead of stopping to help, the driver kept going down the road, leaving Benjamin behind.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene on the quiet stretch of highway, but it was already too late. Authorities pronounced Benjamin dead shortly before 1 p.m. What started as a simple repair job on a late summer afternoon turned into a fatal hit-and-run crime scene in seconds.
Back home in New Braunfels, news of his death hit hard. Benjamin was a son, a close friend, and a steady presence in the lives of the people who knew him. At 36, he was right in the middle of his life, with plenty of work left to do, plans to finish, and ordinary days ahead with his family.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are now working around the clock to find the vehicle that hit him. Investigators know that Highway 172 carries plenty of local traffic, and they believe someone out there saw something that could break the case open.
State troopers are asking anyone who drove through La Ward that day to think back carefully. If you were on State Highway 172 around midday or had a dash camera running on your vehicle, officers want to see the footage. Even a minor detail could help troopers identify the hit-and-run driver.
Investigators are also tracking down leads on two specific vehicles seen near the crash site. Moments after Benjamin was struck, witnesses spotted two cars pulling onto the northbound shoulder about a hundred yards away. Both vehicles stopped for a short time before pulling back onto the road and driving off.
For Benjamin’s family, the sudden silence is the hardest part. The daily routines of life go on, but every picture on the wall and every familiar spot in town brings back his memory. Knowing what happened won’t undo their loss, but getting honest answers is the only way this grieving Texas family can begin to find closure.
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