Suspect Arrested in Fatal Oceanside Hit-and-Run

Oceanside police arrested a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed 22-year-old Rufus Lucas last Tuesday evening, the Oceanside Police Department said. 

Officers responded to a single vehicle crash in the 3500 block of Mission Avenue around 9:45 p.m. when Lucasโ€™ car collided with the center median for unknown reasons, causing it to flip several times.

The next day, investigators realized another car was involved in the collision.

On Sunday, 29-year-old Rijal St. Michel was arrested for felony hit-and-run. St. Michel collided with Lucas when he made a U-Turn on Mission, causing Lucas to lose control of his car.

St. Michel pulled over for a short time before driving away prior to police arrival, officers said.

The Oceanside Police Departmentโ€™s Major Accident Investigation Team is conducting the investigation, and it is still unknown if alcohol was a factor in the collision.

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