SANTA ANA – A local band teacher was declared brain dead Friday morning, a week after he was struck by a car in a major street while heading out for an early-morning meal, and his family said they will donate his organs to help others live.

The family of Chris Chavez, 26, of Santa Ana, and police are offering $20,000 to the person who can identify the woman who fled the scene.

On April 20, Chavez was crossing South Bristol Street near Central Avenue around 2:15 a.m. in a crosswalk, with the right of way, on his way to eat at a Denny’s restaurant.

“He goes there all the time,” his sister, Rachel Chavez, 21, said after the crash. “He’s a night owl, so it’s not that unusual for him to be out at that time going to get something to eat.”

The family has chose to donate Chris’s organs to reflect the way he lived, his father, Ralph Chavez, said.

“Chris loved to help people,” Ralph Chavez said. “This is so Chris will keep on living.”

A Latino or Filipino woman, between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-4, was driving a black, four-door BMW – possibly a 500 series – with paper plates before she ran a red light at Central Avenue and hit Chavez.

She initially stopped, got out of the car and went to Chavez, but then left.

She has not been found, although police believe the car had major front-end and windshield damage.

On Friday, Santa Ana city and police officials offered a $10,000 reward to the person who helps police find the driver, and the family has pledged an additional $10,000.

“This case is significant enough that we wanted to offer a reward,” Santa Ana police Chief Carlos Rojas said at a press conference Friday, with many of Chavez’s family and friends standing in support behind him. “My plea is to the driver to turn herself in.”

Chavez, who graduated from Saddleback High School in 2008, was a drum line instructor at the Santa Ana school while he studied to be a emergency medical technician at Orange Coast College.

About 100 attended a Friday afternoon remembrance ceremony at the school.

Jessica Aguirre, 26, of Santa Ana, was friends with Chavez while they were students at Saddleback.

After the ceremony, she remembered Chavez teaching her to play the snare drum in a beginner band class when they were seniors.

“He made me play during a back to school night, and I had no idea what I was doing,” she said. “At the end, he smiled and said, ‘You did great’ even though I sucked.”

Chavez has been on life support since the crash because of serious brain swelling and a series of strokes.

“The strokes took over his brain,” Ralph Chavez said. “Unfortunately, this morning they ran one more test. The tested his brain to see if it had function. Unfortunately, he did not pass the test.”

He was pronounced brain dead around 10 a.m. Friday. He will be kept on life support until tests are completed to determine which organs can be donated, Rachel Chavez said.

“Chris loved helping anybody and everybody,” Ralph Chavez said. “If he could continue to help anybody, he would want that. That’s why he’ll be a donor.”

A vigil was planned for Friday evening at the site where Chris was struck.

Anyone with information was asked to call Santa Ana police Cpl. Matt Wharton at 714-245-8209. Anonymous tips can be provided to the Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or aduranty@ocregister.com