WACO (February 2, 2012)—McLennan County Sheriff’s Deputy Tyrone Caldwell, 41, who was badly injured late last month in a hit-and-run as he walked with a woman in Cameron Park in Waco, was moved from a local hospital Wednesday to a rehabilitation center in Austin.
Caldwell, who was in critical condition after he was struck, is making very good progress, McLennan County Sheriff Larry Lynch said Thursday.
Caldwell and the woman, who was not identified, were walking on Jan. 23 south on Sturgis near the intersection of North 4th Street in the park when a southbound pickup struck him, knocking him into a grassy area.
The driver then sped off.
The woman with whom Caldwell was walking was not injured.
Two women who were in front of the couple said they heard the impact and then heard the woman scream.
They saw the truck speeding away, but weren't able to get the license number.
Three days later Waco police arrested Raymond Ross Mormino II, 54, at his home at 1001 Cloverleaf #9-b in Bellmead.
He was charged with aggravated assault and failure to stop and render aid in connection with the hit and run.
The arrest came two days after police seized a truck from the address that matched the description of the pickup that struck the deputy.
"Pieces of the truck were found at the scene that matched up to the damaged pieces of the truck (that was impounded)," the affidavit said.
The affidavit says Mormino told an investigator he was driving the truck Monday on Sturgis Road when he passed two groups of people who were walking and “something hit his truck,” the affidavit said.
“Mormino did not stop and does not know what hit his truck,” the affidavit said.
Mormino is the son of longtime McLennan County State District Judge Raymond Mormino who died in February 2011 at the age of 90.
Mormino’s father served as the first judge of Waco’s 170th State District Court, from which he retired in 1989.
