A tragic incident occurred last week on the streets of San José leading to yet another fatality as the city records its 24th traffic death this year. According to an update from the San José Police Department (SJPD), on Wednesday, they apprehended 33-year-old Justin Perez in connection with a felony hit-and-run collision that claimed the life of a female electric scooter rider.
The collision, which took place on Monday, involved a black Ram pickup truck striking the scooterist as she was crossing the street. After the suspect vehicle, determined to be an unreported stolen vehicle, the SJPD responded following up by patrolling officers who discovered it abandoned away from the crime scene. The vehicle immediately fled the scene, and the scooterist was transported to a local hospital, where she later died due to her injuries.
Following an intensive investigation, SJPD's Traffic Investigations Unit, with the assistance of the Special Operations METRO and Violent Crimes Enforcement Team (VCET), successfully located Perez in San José. He was then booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail, facing charges related to felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter.
Meanwhile, details about the victim are still being withheld until the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner releases her identity, pending notification of kin.
The case remains an active investigation, and members of the community with any information are urged to contact Detective Leslie #4264 of the San José Police Department's Traffic Investigations Unit. As per a report by Hoodline, tips can be sent via email to [email protected] or by calling 408-277-4654.
