South student, 18, dies following wreck

    A South Campus student died last week at John Peter Smith Hospital, six days after being injured in a hit-and-run traffic accident.

   Dereck Denise Lopez, 18, was involved in a two-car collision at the intersection of Hemphill and West Lowden streets Oct. 31.

   The driver of the other car fled on foot, but was arrested later.

   Julio G. Quino, 35, is not a U.S. citizen and has been ordered held without bail by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

   He faces charges of failure to stop and render aid and possession of a controlled substance.

   One of the victim’s brothers, Jay Lopez, said she was attending TCC in hopes of becoming a teacher.

   Lopez was working at D. McRae Elementary School as a bilingual teaching assistant.

   “Dereck was an excellent student. We will miss her quiet enthusiasm and her intelligence,” Miriam Harris, South Campus English instructor, said.

   Lopez started taking classes on South Campus during Summer II.

   Lopez held black belts in tae kwon do and karate and was a gold medallist in the 2000 Junior Olympics.

   She also recently had qualified to compete in the upcoming U.S. Open tournament in Las Vegas, her brother said.

   “She was a very special person,” he said.

   Lopez’ father, Jorge Lopez, said that his daughter was headed to Benbrook to visit one of her brothers when the accident occurred. She had just delivered some infant clothes to a friend who recently had a baby, he said.