Sacramento, California – A bicycle ride in the early morning hours ended in a fatal hit-and-run in south Sacramento, leaving investigators with a death to explain and a vehicle that was already gone by the time officers arrived.
The crash happened just after 3 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, near Luther Drive and Florin Road. Sacramento police said patrol officers were sent to the area after receiving reports of a collision involving a vehicle and a bicyclist.
Officers found an adult male bicyclist at the scene suffering from life-threatening injuries. Emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Sacramento Fire Department personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The driver involved in the collision did not remain there. According to the Sacramento Police Department, the vehicle had fled before responding officers arrived.
The circumstances prompted a larger investigative response. Detectives with the department’s Major Collision Investigation Unit, along with Crime Scene Investigators, were called to take over the case.
Investigators processed the crash scene, searched the surrounding area for information and interviewed witnesses as they worked to determine what happened before and during the collision. Police said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Authorities have not released the name of the bicyclist. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office is expected to identify the man after his next of kin have been notified.
Police are now asking anyone who witnessed the collision or has information that could assist detectives to come forward.
Witnesses can contact the Sacramento Police Department dispatch center at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Anonymous information may also be submitted through the free P3 Tips smartphone app.
As the investigation continues, detectives are working with the evidence collected at the scene and information from witnesses to determine the full circumstances of the fatal collision and identify the vehicle involved.