The body of a 27-year-old unidentified woman was found on an Ocean Beach road early Saturday morning and evidence suggests she may have been yet another victim of a hit and run, San Diego police confirmed.
SDPD Sgt. Art Doherty told NBC 7 the deceased woman was discovered just after 6 a.m. in some pickleweed and brush in the 4700 block of Nimitz Boulevard, near the eastbound Interstate 8 ramp.
Though her cause of death remains under investigation, Doherty said the victim sustained injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle, so investigators suspect she was possibly struck by a hit and run driver.
Doherty said evidence at the scene – including plastic car parts and clothing that likely belonged to the victim – further indicate the possibility of a hit and run. He said investigators are still trying to determine what type of vehicle those parts may have come from.
The challenge, however, is that the area where the woman was found is littered with other debris as well, unrelated to the incident. Doherty said investigators are combing through those remnants, trying to figure out what is truly evidence. Another challenge, he said, is that there are no independent witnesses in the case.
If a hit and run driver is to blame for the fatality, Doherty said the suspect’s vehicle likely has significant damage to its front end.
Now, as for the victim, she has not yet been identified by police. Doherty said officials are in the process of trying to contact her next of kin.
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“She has tattoos that will help us [identify her]. But we just don’t know right now. It’s still early,” added Doherty.
If this is a hit and run, it’s just the latest in a long line of similar incidents that have happened on San Diego roadways over the last six months. Doherty said police see a lot of these cases and many of them are linked to suspects driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that choose to flee instead of face the consequences.
“Let’s face it, this is a culture that just sometimes doesn’t take responsibility,” said Doherty. “Now, whether or not that person knew that they struck this lady, whether they were intoxicated, whether they were driving on a suspended license, didn’t have insurance – for whatever reason – that’s usually pretty consistent when people flee the scene of a crime, when they strike somebody it’s usually the result of being under the influence.”
“They don’t want to take responsibility, so they flee the scene and leave the damage behind,” he added.
Anyone with information on this case should contact the San Diego Police Department.
