A small section of bumper may end up being a critical piece of evidence. Investigators say it came off the vehicle that hit and killed a bicyclist. San Jose police are looking for the person who was behind the wheel and are asking witnesses to come forward.
"The people that we're looking for as witnesses might not even know what they saw. They might get home tonight and see this on the news and realize, 'Oh my goodness. You know, I saw something today that turned out to be a fatality,' and they may call us and give us some useful information," said San Jose Police Department Sgt. Jason Dwyer.
The male cyclist was found lying on the ground with his mangled bicycle a few yards away. Police say he was in the eastbound lanes of Taylor Street near Highway 87 when he was struck and killed. This is the 19th traffic-related death in San Jose so far this year, the thirteenth involving a pedestrian or cyclist. People we talked to say they're not surprised to hear about this latest fatality.
"People drive like maniacs around here and this area is horrible. People just scream down this road. They pull off of the freeway. They go to turn. They don't pay attention," said Cindi Staiger, a San Jose resident.
Nearby residents hope police find the person responsible. The driver is wanted for felony hit and run. As small as the piece of bumper may be, investigators say they can use it to determine the vehicle's make, model and year.
