Hit-and-run driver arrested after 64-year-old woman killed in Berkeley
A 64-year-old woman died after being struck by a fleeing vehicle in Berkeley, California. The 66-year-old driver was arrested hours later with the help of a witness and a plate reader.
Berkeley pedestrian fatally struck; driver caught via licence plate reader
A 64-year-old woman was killed on Tuesday evening after a vehicle struck her and fled the scene in Berkeley, California, abc7news.com reports. A 66-year-old driver was arrested the same night.
Officers were called at 6:38 p.m. to the intersection of Ashby Avenue and Regent Street, following a report that a westbound vehicle had hit a pedestrian and left without stopping. Berkeley Fire Department personnel transported the woman to a nearby trauma centre, where she later died.
A witness spotted a silver Kia Soul — matching the suspect vehicle — a few blocks from the crash site and noted its licence plate number, passing the information to investigators. Officers entered the plate into the department's automated licence plate reader system, which at 9:02 p.m. alerted them that the vehicle had accessed Interstate Highway 80 via the Gilman Street on-ramp.
Police located the car travelling toward San Rafael, just past the I-580/80 split, and pulled it over. The driver was detained at the scene.
The driver faces charges including driving under the influence, DUI causing injury, hit-and-run causing injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter, among other alleged offences, police said.
The Berkeley Police Department credited both the witness's tip and the automated plate reader with enabling officers to track down the driver within hours.
"We are grateful for the community's continued trust and support, and especially for the witness whose actions helped officers locate the driver," the department said. "Our thoughts remain with the victim's family and loved ones."
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)