A good Samaritan who tracked a suspected hit-and-run driver in Mission Beach has given police a very strong lead in the case, investigators told NBC 7 on Monday.
San Diego Police are looking for the driver who rear-ended a 62-year-old female cyclist riding on West Mission Bay Drive, just east of the Belmont Park Roller Coaster, on Sunday morning.
The victim was knocked to the ground and suffered a head injury, a fractured hip and a fractured clavicle. She is currently in the hospital, recovering from the injuries.
"A lot of distractions rolling down the beach down here, so a lot of people can be in the middle of the road, distracted by the stores and the people and not see somebody, run 'em over," said cyclist Eric Bossard Monday.
The collision happened in an area where a marked bike lane ends and three lanes of traffic merge. According to a witness, the driver whipped a U-turn and tried to get away, but an alert good Samaritan followed behind.
The man told officers the suspect was in a red or maroon 1996 Toyota Camry with a California license plate of 6YGY380.
On Monday, many cyclists weren't taking any chances, choosing instead to ride on the sidewalk along West Mission Bay Drive instead of the street.
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“People don't tend to give bikes any room,” said cyclist Marilyn Bossard. “They're not tolerant of bikes. They're not looking at where they're going and what they're gonna do. So I don't want to be out there.”
Right now, police are not giving out any information on the good Samaritan, but they're hoping his valuable information will soon lead to an arrest in this case.
