Dallas police arrested 67-year-old David Polley for a hit-and-run that killed 6-year-old Destiny Wright.
DALLAS — If there is one thing the Wright family wants people to know, it is that 6-year-old Destiny Wright was loved.
“We all got together, and you know, treated her with the utmost respect,” said Destiny’s uncle, Milton “Polo Baybee” Wright.
Destiny’s grandmother Mary Friday said she was diagnosed with autism and was mostly non-verbal. Her family recently moved from Mississippi to Dallas, so that Destiny could get proper treatment.
“We moved to Texas for the main goal, and I have that paperwork. We reached out to the Foundation of Autism. They said they could not put her on the waiting list until we moved to the state,” Friday said. “She was just full of life. You couldn’t have asked for a happier child.”
Now, memories are all they have. Friday said on Sunday night, while Destiny was sleeping with her mother, her grandfather left to go to the store.
“I don’t know what we could have done differently. We have three locks. Two of them were locked just because he was running to the store,” Friday recalled.
Shortly after, Friday noticed Destiny was gone. She said she and her daughter, Destiny’s mother, started looking for her.
“Destiny being autistic, she would always run, right? But she would never unlock a door,” said Friday.
Surveillance video from the nearby Papa John’s showed Destiny wandering on Belt Line Road near Preston Road in far north Dallas. Moments later, she was hit by a vehicle. The driver of that vehicle pulled into a parking lot, and then drove off, passing Destiny.
“The way he just left her there. He just left,” said Friday. “I could spend all day hollering should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, but I would never know that if you just would’ve taken a minute of your time, first not to hit her. Call 911 even if you were going to leave. You didn’t do any of those things. You didn’t give her any mercy. None. None.”
She said two other cars stopped to help. During that time, Destiny’s grandfather found her too and started CPR.
“We got to the hospital. We still had hope at that point, right,” said Friday.
It was a hope short-lived because Destiny later died from her injuries.
Tuesday, Dallas Police arrested 67-year-old David Polley. The arrest warrant showed DPD tracked him down at his home in Lewisville where he allegedly admitted to driving the vehicle and wanted to turn himself in to police.
“I hope it brings some sense of closure. It was a tragic incident. Their lives will never be the same,” said Dallas Police Lt. Tramese Jones.
Polley is charged with collision involving death, according to police.
“I don’t believe in enemies, but if I had an enemy, he would be it. I still wouldn’t wish this on him,” said Friday. “Although God says I have to forgive you, I will never ever, ever heal from what you took from me… I may not have done it right, but I promise to God I tried. We all tried. We all tried.”
The family has a GoFundMe to help raise money for a funeral in Mississippi, where most of the Wright family lives. To support their GoFundMe, click here.
