Salem, Oregon hit-and-run scene
An ongoing collection of unsolved hit-and-run cases, with a focus on car/pedestrian incidents, from across the country since Jan. ‘010. If you know something about any of these incidents, or one that I’ve missed, do the right thing and call the police, even anonymously.
3460. Austin, Texas. Feb. 18. Man fatally struck by a red pick-up truck and a dark-colored four-door sedan which fled the scene, the driver of the latter later surrendered.
3461. Athens, Ga. Feb. 16. 19-year-old woman critically injured when struck by a 1997 red Mazda pick up which fled the scene and was later found, but without its driver.
3462. Loudoun County, Va. Feb. 15. 15-year-old boy injured when struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
3463. Salem, Ore. Feb. 15. 14-year-old girl injured when struck by a a tan mid-1980s, possibly Ford F-150 which fled the scene.
3464. Washington, DC. Feb. 16. 20-year-old man fatally struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
3465. San Francisco, Cal. Feb. 16. 17-year-old girl injured when struck by a silver four-door vehicle which fled the scene.
3466. Trenton, NJ. 48-year-old man critically injured when struck by an older red sedan, possibly a Toyota Corolla, which fled the scene.
3467. Phoenix, Ariz. Feb. 19. Man injured when struck by an older vehicle, possibly an Oldsmobile, which fled the scene.
3468. Linden, NJ. Feb. 19. 39-year-old man injured when struck by a dark sedan, likely Nissan, which fled the scene.
3469. Seattle, Wash. Feb. 19. Man critically injured when struck by a white van which fled the scene after driver and passenger got out of vehicle momentarily.
3470. Miami, Fla. Feb. 18. Elderly man fatally struck by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
3471. Oxford, Mich. Feb. 17. 28-year-old man injured when struck by a Buick Rendezvous which fled the scene.
3472. Dover, Del. Feb. 20. 38-year-old man struck and killed by an unidentified vehicle which fled the scene.
Related stories:
An Omar Monroig case update…
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. (WABC) — Nearly a year after a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash in New Jersey; police are looking for new leads in the case.
They set up a checkpoint Friday night to hand out flyers near the North Bergen intersection where Omar Monroig was run over last March.
And I quote (I)…
SOUTHWEST RANCHES — For years Dwight Morrison kept fit by bicycling, every weekend setting out from his Davie home west of Interstate 75 for treks that took hours.
He often used the bike path paralleling Griffin Road. “It was one of his favorite rides,” said his sister Karen Fuller.
That’s where the 63-year-old jeweler was about 11:30 a.m. Saturday, pedaling east just past Southwest 148th Avenue, when a speeding car came up from behind, swerved into the bike lane, and killed him instantly, according to police.
And I quote (II)…
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – A year later, police still haven’t found the hit-and-run driver who killed Wagner College nursing student Ronald (RJ) Tillman.
But the college community says it’s turned the tragedy into a rallying point for change.
Tillman’s death spurred Wagner to set up a memorial scholarship and, notably, start a traffic safety campaign that pressured the city to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Howard and Hillside avenues and repaint the lines along the road.
And I quote (III)…
A memorial fund has been started to help the family of 56-year-old Frank Diaz Jr., the victim of a fatal hit and run in Santa Maria on February 5th.
According to close relatives, Diaz had no life insurance, and his family can’t afford to pay for a plot or burial services. To help offset the costs, a memorial account is open for the public to donate whatever they can.
To donate, visit any Bank of America and tell the teller you would like to donate to the Frank Diaz Jr. Memorial Account. The account number is 325-016-521-449. The account is under the name of his daughter, Yolanda A. Diaz. All donations must be routed to banks with a 91709 area code.
And I quote (IV)…
A driver sought by El Cajon Police following the death of a pedestrian has now contacted the Police Department and is cooperating with authorities.
Based on the preliminary investigation, an adult approximately 70 years of age was wearing dark clothing and attempting to cross the roadway near the intersection of Avocado Avenue and Carter Street this evening, when he was struck by a Toyota Camry traveling southbound on Avocado.
And I quote (V)…
Tallahassee, Fla. — Florida has a growing problem with hit-and-run crashes.
Florida police responded to nearly 70,000 hit-and-run crashes that injured about 17,000 people last year.
Those crashes killed 168 people. One hundred of those victims were pedestrians. The drivers just drove away after running them down.
And I quote (VI)…
MIAMI (WSVN) — The driver accused of striking and killing a cyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway in January 2010 pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter Tuesday morning.
According to Miami-Dade Police, Carlos Bertonatti struck Christopher Le Canne while he was riding his bike on the Rickenbacker Causeway, in January 2010. Police said Le Canne’s crushed bike was dragged for blocks before Bertonatti was stopped by police. Le Canne was later taken to a hospital, where doctors would pronounce him dead.
Nesande
And I quote (VII)…
It’s rare that a jury trial for vehicular manslaughter captivates the public’s attention in central Texas. But Gabrielle Nestande, a former legislative aid for a Republican lawmaker, has been no ordinary defendant in a captivating six-day trial that, on late Tuesday, went to the jury.
Nestande stands accused of a fatal a hit-and-run following a night of drinking in Austin, the capital. On the day before her arrest at the Texas House, the Baylor University graduate had, ironically, been honored by lawmakers for her exemplary work as a legislative aide. She got her start in government as an intern on Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign.
Now, the 25-year-old faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted for manslaughter, intoxication manslaughter, and failure to stop and render aid — all for allegedly killing 30-year-old Courtney Griffin, a well-liked fifth-generation Austinite.
Griffin was a nanny, animal lover, and veterinarian’s assistant. She was killed almost instantly in the early morning darkness on Friday, May 27, 2011, when Nestande ran over her from behind as she walked home, apparently along a bike lane. Her body was found on a driveway early the next morning.
Caught, convicted, court appearance or car-on-car in … Jefferson City, Mo.; Salem, Ore.; Price Hill, Ohio; Fresno, Cal.; Dearborn Heights, Mich.; Springfield, Mass.; Fayetteville, NC.
More hit-and-run stories, including every volume of Hit-and-Run America (in reverse order), are accessible from this linked page. (The full Volume-by-Volume list will appear sporadically from now on.)