Authorities have arrested a driver in the deadly hit-and-run accident that killed a 21-year-old man as he changed a flat tire along the shoulder of a San Diego freeway earlier this week.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner (ME) has now identified the victim was Raymart Agsalon Martos, an Imperial Beach resident who had celebrated his 21st birthday just last month.
The hit-and-run suspect, Christopher Ramirez Reyes, 29, was arrested Wednesday night in connection with the deadly accident, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed Thursday.
Reyes, of Solana Beach, was questioned by CHP investigators and subsequently taken into custody. He was booked into county jail on suspicion of hit-and-run causing death.
Bruce Deuchler, an employee at Evapors, told NBC 7 he saw Martos nearly every day at the electronic cigarette store. He described Martos as "a great guy" and said it was a hard day when he heard Martos had died.
"RIP Raymart (sp). Way too soon," Deuchler wrote on Facebook.
On Tuesday, at around 5:45 a.m., Martos was driving his black Honda Civic coupe on southbound Interstate 5 near the Mile of Cars exit in Chula Vista when his car got a flat tire. Martos pulled over to the inner shoulder of the freeway and began changing the right front tire.
Just then, Reyes, driving a Dodge Stratus, was traveling on the freeway. Reyes struck Martos, CHP investigators said, and then crashed into a center divider. Reyes abandoned his car and fled the scene on foot, leaving Martos to die on the side of the roadway.
When emergency crews arrived, Martos was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators, when Martos changed his tire, he left his trunk open and several items, including his spare tire, on the ground near his car. When he was hit, he landed 25 yards in front of his vehicle, officials said.
On Wednesday morning, the hit-and-run suspect remained at large. CHP investigators said they had identified some persons of interest but the investigation continued.
On Thursday morning, officials confirmed Reyes was taken into custody in connection with the deadly hit-and-run. No further information was immediately released.
