Elderly Driver Part of Hit-and-Run Probe: Deputies

Did a 92-year-old man accidentally kill a teen skateboarding in North County?

Lucas Giaconelli, 15, was skateboarding with friends at around 7p.m. Friday near Thibodo Road and Edna Way in Vista when he was hit by what witnesses said was a white '90s model Camry that left the scene.

On Monday, investigators with the San Diego Sheriff's Department said they had identified a possible suspect in the case. Authorities said that at a vigil for Lucas that was held Saturday night, the 92-year-old man stopped by and asked a deputy what was going on. The deputy explained what had happened, and, officials said, the man told him he had been driving on the street around the time of the accident and thought he had hit a small animal. 

Deputies followed the man home and found damage to his car consistent with a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle. The man has cooperated with detectives, investigators said. 

Lucas was transported on Friday to Palomar Medical Center, where he later died. The teenager, who friends described as a polite teenager an a great skater, was a freshman at Rancho Buena Vista High School.

β€œHe's in a better place now. He's looking down on us,” said Will Porter, a friend of Lucas. β€œHe was the funniest person to skate with. He would make you laugh. He made our group.”

Residents said drivers usually speed in the area. There's no sidewalk where Lucas was hit.

Anyone with information about the case is being urged to call the sheriff's department.
 

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