Eerie footage captured elite Houston runner Lilia Vazquez’s last moments before she was tragically struck and killed.
The family of the accomplished runner is now pleading for help in finding the driver responsible for her death.
Vazquez, 61, was preparing to run in the Houston Marathon next week as an invited Elite Runner. She was hit while jogging along Westpark, between Ocee and Jeanetta, early Friday morning.
‘She was a very accomplished runner, a fighter, an encourager,’ her oldest daughter, Mariana, told ABC 13. ‘But her proudest accomplishment was my sister and I. That was her biggest identity. Just being a mom.’
Vazquez’s husband, Steve Tiemann, and their daughters, Mariana and Cecilia, spoke to ABC 13, hoping to generate new leads in the search for the driver who hit her.
‘I think my sadness is the greatest right now. I’m just kind of lost,’ Tiemann, who met Vazquez while jogging 20 years ago, said.
A newly acquired video shows Vazquez running along Westpark starting at 6:10 a.m. She jogged south on Ocee, then east on Westpark, turning around to retrace her route several times.
At 6:14 a.m., she paused to let a car turn into a convenience store parking lot before continuing on her route. She never returned.
Eerie footage captured elite Houston runner Lilia Vazquez’s last moments before she was tragically struck and killed
Vazquez, 61, was preparing to run in the Houston Marathon next week as an invited Elite Runner. She was hit while jogging early Friday morning
The video does not capture the vehicle that struck Vazquez. The Houston Police Department (HPD) has not provided updates on the investigation.
It’s unclear when police will release additional footage from nearby surveillance cameras.
‘Looking at it, I realized my mom gave up her entire life just so my sister and I could have more,’ Cecilia said. ‘I know if she had to redo everything, she would do it all again.’
On Monday, several of Vazquez’s running friends gathered at her home wearing medals from the marathons she had won across the country.
‘She had a natural gift for running. She’s a mentor to a lot of us, she’s a pillar in the running community, and hundreds of people love this woman,’ Brenda Gonzalez, one of her friends, said.
She also mentioned that the running community is working to ensure Vazquez’s registration for the Houston Marathon is honored.
‘Her family wants her bib to be run in her memory. We’re currently coordinating with Chevron/Houston Marathon to make this happen,’ Gonzalez explained.
As of Monday, HPD had no suspects, but Vazquez’s daughters are focused on finding the driver responsible.
‘I think what’s pushing me forward is knowing that if anything happened to any of us that she loved, she would not stop fighting, and I want to fight for her until the end, and I want to find who did this,’ Mariana said.
Her daughter noted that her mother was a safe and vigilant runner.
‘She was always praying. She didn’t listen to music when running — always praying,’ Mariana told KHOU 11.
Residents of the area have pointed out that the lack of sidewalks and limited shoulder space make the stretch of Westpark particularly dangerous for pedestrians.
‘Especially here on this corner — Jeanetta and Westpark. It’s very rough. It’s a very dangerous corner,’ business owner Estaban Anchia said.
Authorities have emphasized the importance of wearing reflective clothing and being extra cautious when exercising in poorly lit areas, such as the stretch of Westpark where the incident occurred.
Vazquez’s family is heartbroken and hopes someone will come forward with information to help them find the person responsible.
‘I just want to fight for her like she would for us — ’til the very end. I want to get any kind of answer. I know people saw … there’s so many people at that intersection. I know someone had to have seen something and so I just really want to try my very best to get the word out there about her and I know someone will come forward,’ Mariana said.
Residents of the area have pointed out that the lack of sidewalks and limited shoulder space make the stretch of Westpark particularly dangerous for pedestrians
The investigation is still ongoing
‘She had been selected as a local elite runner for the Houston Marathon in January, a testament to her commitment and passion. She also touched countless lives through her work at Baylor over the past four years, where she dedicated herself to helping patients in the physical therapy unit,’ Erika Taugherm said in the description of a GoFundMe to cover her funeral expenses.
A memorial event for Vazquez will take place on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Memorial Park.
