Affidavit: Arrest warrant issued for 26-year-old woman accused of hit-and-run on Christmas 2023

TRAVIS COUNTY (KXAN) -- An arrest warrant was filed in Travis County this week for a driver who is accused of being responsible for a deadly hit-and-run on Christmas last year, according to court documents obtained by KXAN.

Sessily Northam, 26, faces a charge of failure to stop/render aid in a collision involving death, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. That is a second-degree felony in Texas. Attorney information for Northam wasn't available online at the time this story was published, but if it becomes available we will reach out to her an attorney to request a comment on the charge.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the crash happened the night of Monday, Dec. 25 at about 11:51 p.m. on State Highway 71 westbound near the intersection of Paleface Ranch Road. That location is in western Travis County.

DPS said a male pedestrian was hit and killed in the crash, and based on evidence at the scene, the vehicle involved was possibly a 1994 to 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup.

The affidavit said DPS was contacted by an anonymous tipster who said they had text messages from Northam admitting she killed the person.

DPS then contacted Northam over the phone, and she said during that phone call that she saw the man standing in the road and she swerved and thought she hit a cone. Northam also said during the call she "drove all the way home and looked on the vehicle and there was nothing on there that would suggest I hit a person," and "I really hope I didn't hurt anybody but I wanted to let you guys know in case," according to the affidavit.

The affidavit said Northam also told DPS where the truck, which belonged to her brother-in-law, was located. Troopers took photos of it and collected evidence, and the affidavit said there was a headlight cover inside the truck that matched pieces from a broken headlamp found on the side of the road at the crash scene, as well as "what appeared to be blood smears," on some of the evidence.

The trooper who spoke on the phone with Northam told her a Burnet County trooper would go to her house and speak in person with her there, but when the trooper arrived she refused and said she'd be getting an attorney, according to the affidavit.

DPS also obtained evidence from other witnesses that showed message exchanges between Northam and others about the incident. "Phone was dead, it was in the middle of nowhere at midnight on Christmas, no one around, plus I still do not think I was the person who hit him," the affidavit detailed.

The affidavit noted that another person also called DPS about the hit-and-run, saying that their friend, identified as Northam, "felt like she hit a deer on Christmas but possibly a person."

The affidavit further stated DPS received anonymous tips stating Northam was trying to get rid of the evidence and the truck before police found out.

The affidavit said evidence showed that Northam would have had to get out of the truck and pick up the broken pieces of the headlight that were found in the truck and she would have seen the victim after he was hit and injured. DPS said in the affidavit that troopers who investigated the crash do not believe Northam would have talked to authorities about the crash had DPS not reached out to her.