A San Diego woman who died while cleaning up graffiti had parked her tricycle in the street and was not wearing a helmet when she was struck by a car, according to the county medical examiner.
Maruta Gardner, 68, was with her husband on February 12 around 5:45 p.m. on San Diego Place at the jetty entrance into Mission Bay.
Gardner had parked her tricycle in the street and was taking a picture of an area she had painted when she was struck by an oncoming car. She was not wearing a helmet at the time she was struck, according to the medical examiner's report.
The former educator and school principal was known by friends and neighbors as someone who worked to make the community a better place.
Officers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said Gardner was struck by a black Toyota Corolla driven by a 23-year-old man.
She was standing in the street near the curb when the Corolla driver attempted to pass the driver of a white Ford Mustang. The Corolla sped to the right of the Mustang, driving along the shoulder, and struck Gardner police said.
He turned into a nearby parking lot for a few minutes, and then sped away.
Police stopped the hit-and-run suspect a short distance away and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Gardner suffered a skull fracture and was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital where the medical team pronounced her dead the next day.
The medical examiner's report ruled her death as an accident.
