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MIDLAND, Midland County, Texas, Oct. 10, 2026 — A 24-year-old Odessa man died on Thursday night, October 8, after falling from the hood of a moving Jeep on Rankin Highway in Midland. The driver left the scene and was arrested hours later in Odessa.
Midland police officers responded to the 1700 block of Rankin Highway around 10:46 p.m. on Thursday after receiving a report of a crash involving a 2018 Jeep Wrangler and a pedestrian. Officers arriving on scene found Jose Alfredo Soto Navarrete Jr., 24, lying in the roadway outside a nightclub. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said witnesses reported seeing Navarrete climb onto the hood of a black Jeep Wrangler before the driver accelerated while turning southbound. The movement threw Navarrete from the hood, and he suffered fatal injuries in the fall. The driver, identified by police as 30-year-old Christian Rojelio Zubia of Odessa, reportedly drove away afterward.
Odessa police helped locate Zubia, and investigators from both departments used license plate reading technology to assist the search, according to Midland police. Zubia was arrested and charged with manslaughter. The investigation is ongoing, and Navarrete's next of kin has been notified.
Our sympathies are with the family of the person who lost their life.
Where Pedestrian Crashes Cluster on Roads Like Rankin Highway
Wide, high-speed arterial roads built to move traffic quickly through commercial strips tend to produce more pedestrian deaths than slower residential streets. These roads carry several lanes in each direction, long gaps between marked crossings, and nightlife or retail destinations that draw foot traffic right up against moving vehicles. The combination of speed and limited formal crossing points is a recurring theme in pedestrian fatalities nationwide.
Areas near bars, clubs, and late-night venues add another layer of risk. Pedestrians may be crossing outside marked crosswalks, drivers may be distracted or impaired, and visibility is reduced after dark. Unsignalized midblock locations, driveways, and parking lot exits onto arterial roads are especially prone to sudden, close-range encounters between vehicles and people on foot.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 24 percent of pedestrians killed in traffic crashes were struck by hit-and-run drivers in 2023. That figure points to how often these crashes end with the driver leaving before help arrives, complicating both emergency response and the investigation that follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can drivers do to avoid hitting a pedestrian?
Slowing down near commercial strips and nightlife areas, scanning sidewalks and parking lot entrances, and staying alert at night when pedestrians are harder to see all reduce risk. Extra caution is warranted anywhere foot traffic mixes with multi-lane roads.
What injuries commonly result from pedestrian crashes?
Pedestrians struck or thrown from a vehicle often suffer head trauma, broken bones, and internal injuries. Falls from a vehicle hood or roadway impact can cause injuries similar to those seen in high-speed falls.
What usually causes these crashes?
Common factors include speeding, distraction, impaired driving, poor lighting, and pedestrians crossing outside marked areas. Many pedestrian deaths happen at night on roads without nearby signalized crossings.
Does vehicle speed change a pedestrian's chance of survival?
Yes. Survival rates drop sharply as vehicle speed increases, because higher speeds mean more force on impact and less time for either party to react.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Crash in Midland, TX
Anyone involved in or who witnesses a pedestrian crash should call 911 immediately and stay at the scene if it's safe to do so. Even pedestrians who feel uninjured immediately afterward should seek a medical evaluation, since some injuries, especially head and internal injuries, aren't obvious right away.
Cooperating with responding officers, providing contact information, and requesting a copy of the police report are all important steps. If you witnessed the crash, sharing what you saw with Midland police can help investigators build an accurate account of what happened. Families affected by a pedestrian death in Midland can also reach out to local victim services for support during the process that follows.
