Motorcyclist killed in a hit-and-run crash in Chula Vista Monday afternoon was a husband and father, the family told NBC 7.
Pablo Rosa-Velez was heading eastbound on Main Street when he was struck by an SUV pulling out of the driveway of a storage facility, Chula Vista police (CVPD) said.
The crash happened around 2:15 p.m. near Industrial Boulevard.
Danny Rosa-Velez told NBC 7 his brother had gotten married earlier this year and was expecting his second child.
He said he had been together with his brother just four days prior to the deadly crash.
"He knows that I love him so much. He was, like I said, like a father for me," Danny said. "We all love him...my sister, my mom. I will have him in my heart and my mind always."
Ulises Sanchez, the owner of Best Battery Recycling, said he witnessed the crash right in front of his shop.
Local
"I saw the guy laying around on the floor and he wasn't moving. By then I knew that the guy was gone," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said as a motorcyclist, he has realized many drivers often don't pay attention to bikers on the road.
"I'm a motorcycle driver and a lot of people are not conscious that we're human beings. They just cut us off and it's not right," Sanchez added.
The motorcyclist, a man in his 30s, suffered traumatic injuries and died at the scene, police said.
Mark Saldana, from Marsot Marine and Industrial Supply, said the area where the crash occurred usually gets a lot of traffic.
"There's always, you know, somebody coming in, somebody coming out, somebody crossing and trying to weave out of the way," Saldana said.
Some witnesses told NBC 7, they think the driver of the SUV may have been blinded by a garbage truck and did not see the motorcyclist. They also said there are very few stoplights in the industrial area and there are often crashes.
"She stopped for 10 seconds. She knew what she did and she just took off," Sanchez said.
Police are now searching for the woman who was behind the wheel of the SUV. At this time, police do not have any other description of the driver.
A cross was put up Monday after the deadly crash to commemorate the victim.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help with the burial expenses for Rosa-Velez.
