San Jose police says surveillance video shows suspect in fatal hit-and-run
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- San Jose police are searching for a man who's accused of killing a pedestrian early Tuesday morning. Authorities say the pedestrian was crossing South White Road near Florence Court just after 7 a.m. when he was hit by a pickup truck going northbound on White Road.
The pedestrian has only been described as a white man because officials are still trying to notify next of kin. The driver has been identified as a Hispanic man between 25 and 30 years old. Police say security cameras are providing very important clues and they hope the public will provide valuable information as well.
"Once the vehicle struck the pedestrian, it made a quick left turn onto westbound Florence from White Road," said Lt. Tom Sims.
The vehicle was a white Ford pickup with an extended cab, dark rims, and tinted windows. There is front-end damage from the impact. Police found the pickup on video from security cameras at a nearby store.
They also released a photo of the driver, which was also taken from surveillance video. Police believe the suspect is seen on the video from inside a nearby bakery at 6:30 a.m. Investigators attempted to lift fingerprints of the suspect from a glass cabinet at the bakery on Tuesday.
Neighbors say pedestrians often will cross at intersections with unmarked crosswalks because of the distance to signal lights.
"They have to walk way over there to cross the light if they want to cross that way, way over at Alum Rock, and here it's at East Hills, so it's pretty far for them to do it," said resident Lisa Barragan. "So a lot of people just jaywalk."
The California Vehicle Code recognizes unmarked crosswalks at intersections, but it's unclear whether the victim was at the corner or crossing mid-block. Another neighbor says some drivers on busy White Road won't yield to pedestrians.
"But the trouble is, people won't stop," said San Jose resident Art Daunt.
For that reason, one pedestrian told ABC7 News that he'll take the time to walk north to Alum Rock Avenue to use a signaled crosswalk.
The pickup driver could be facing vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run charges.
Persons with information about this incident or the location of the suspect vehicle are urged to dial 911 or contact the San Jose Police Department's Traffic Investigation Unit at 408-277-4654. Those wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, 408-947-STOP (7867). And those providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect may be eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.
