A car salesman in La Mesa led police to a car that may have hit a toddler in August.
The salesman told investigators that his Volkswagen dealership sold car parts to a nearby body shop, which made repairs on the suspected car, according to La Mesa police Sgt. Peter Andersson.
The repairs needed on the car matched the impact areas that the car would have incurred in the hit-and-run. When police tracked down the car through the body shop, the bumper and turn signal were damaged at the same spot investigators believed hit the boy.
The car had since been returned to the owner, but police have not determined whether the owner was responsible for the hit-and-run. Finding the car was the first step in locating the suspect though, Andersson said.
The crash left the boy seriously injured after he crossed the street without parent supervision on Aug. 25. The car hit the boy on Fletcher Parkway and fled the scene. He suffered head and spinal injuries.
Andersson said the car salesman who led police to the car said he was tenacious, and worked tirelessly to locate the car. The salesman recalled selling the particular mold to a dealership around the time of the accident.
“It was remarkable that he took it upon himself to keep checking,” Andersson said.
