Elias Cruz was riding his Harley-Davidson before sunrise on August 20 when a driver hit him from behind and sped off. He died from his injuries. More than a week later, his family in Hidalgo County is still begging that driver to come forward.

Cruz was 55 years old. He lived in Edinburg. State troopers say he was heading north on FM 88, south of Mile 20 near Elsa, just before 5 a.m. He slowed down to turn into a private driveway. A gray Dodge Durango came up behind him. The driver did not slow down in time. The Durango hit the motorcycle, then kept going. The driver left Cruz on the road and drove off.

The case matters now because it is still unsolved. No arrest has been made. The driver who hit Cruz is still free, and troopers say a witness or a tip could crack the case wide open.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says the Durango was found abandoned about a mile from the crash, near Mile 19 east of FM 88. The driver left it there and walked away. First responders rushed Cruz to a nearby hospital. He died there from his injuries.

Under Texas law, leaving the scene of a crash that kills someone is its own crime, separate from anything else the driver might be charged with. It is called failure to stop and render aid, and it is a second-degree felony, a serious charge that can mean 2 to 20 years in prison. If investigators later show the driver was drunk or on drugs when the crash happened, the charges could carry even more prison time.

Cruz's niece, Kelsey Cruz, spoke for the family this week. She said her uncle was more than an uncle to her and her cousins.

"I just remember him being there for us a lot, whether it being a second father to us, coming and holding our hand when we needed him, showing up when a lot of us really needed him the most," she said.

She said Cruz loved throwing birthday parties for the kids in the family. "He had a tradition of when it was somebody's birthday, the kids especially, he would bring a piñata full of candy," she said. She also said Cruz loved his motorcycle like it was his own child. "That thing was his child; he absolutely loved it. He didn't allow anybody to touch it," she said.

Kelsey said the family has hard questions for the driver who left her uncle on the road. "What was going on? Why didn't you see? Why didn't you stop? He could've still be here today," she said.

She asked the driver to turn themselves in. "Provide our family with the answers we need, the closure that we need. You'd want to have that closure for yourself," she said.

Hit-and-run crashes like this one happen often on South Texas farm roads, where speed limits run high and shoulders run narrow. Families are often left waiting weeks or months for an arrest. Investigators say tips from neighbors and other drivers usually solve these cases, since hit-and-run drivers rarely turn themselves in on their own.

Motorcycle riders face special risk on roads like FM 88. A motorcycle offers no metal frame to absorb a hit from behind, so even a crash at moderate speed can be deadly for the rider. Hidalgo County's growing farm-to-market traffic, mixed with drivers who do not expect to see motorcycles, has made these roads a repeat concern for local riding clubs, who often organize their own search parties and social media pushes when a member is hurt or killed.

Cruz was buried this week. His family invited his motorcycle community to join his funeral procession, calling it his last ride.

Kelsey said she does not want her uncle remembered only for how he died. "We don't want him to be remembered just as the motorcyclist that was killed in a hit and run. We want him to be remembered for all the greatness that he brought, all of the memories that he brought upon everybody, the love he shared," she said.

DPS is still looking for the Durango's driver. Troopers ask anyone with information to call the DPS tip line at 956-565-7600. Tipsters can stay anonymous. Until someone comes forward, Cruz's family says they cannot fully grieve. They want the driver to know his name stays with them: Elias Cruz, 55, husband, uncle, and biker who never missed a birthday.