A nighttime walk in Boyes Hot Springs turned violent on April 9 when a pickup truck struck a pedestrian on Boyes Boulevard near Barrett Avenue around 9:30 p.m. The driver took off, leaving the injured person in the roadway, authorities say. Emergency crews rushed the victim to a nearby hospital with major injuries, and investigators are now working to track down both the vehicle and its driver.
CHP Seeks Witnesses
According to investigators, the vehicle that hit the pedestrian is believed to be a gray Toyota Tacoma that sped away eastbound on Boyes Boulevard. The California Highway Patrol says the victim suffered major injuries and is asking anyone who saw the collision, or who might have useful video, to contact Officer Galloway at the CHP Napa Area office at 707-699-6300, as reported by KRON4. Detectives are especially interested in dash-cam or doorbell footage from around Barrett Avenue at the time of the crash.
Hit-and-Run Collisions Endanger People Walking
Hit-and-run drivers remain a stubborn and deadly part of the pedestrian safety crisis nationwide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that about 23% of pedestrian deaths in 2021 involved hit-and-run drivers, and that most pedestrian fatalities happen after dark. Those patterns make nighttime collisions particularly dangerous and put a premium on witness accounts and video evidence for tracking down fleeing vehicles, according to NHTSA. Local investigators say video from residents often provides the crucial break in these kinds of cases.
Local Safety Work Underway
Even before this crash, Sonoma County had mapped out staged safety upgrades on SR-12 and in the Boyes Hot Springs area, including better pedestrian lighting, wider shoulders and continuous sidewalks. The work is part of a project stretching from Boyes Boulevard north to Agua Caliente Road, according to county planning documents. The latest hit-and-run is likely to intensify calls for enforcement and to speed up those improvements, which officials say are designed to better separate people on foot from traffic lanes and cut nighttime risk, per Sonoma County.
Potential Charges
Under California law, leaving the scene of a crash that causes injury is a crime. Prosecutors can file charges under Vehicle Code section 20001, with penalties ranging from fines to prison time, depending on how severe the injuries are. The law calls for tougher punishment when a collision leads to death or permanent, serious injury, as laid out in California Vehicle Code section 20001. Whether charges will be filed in this case depends on what investigators are able to learn about the truck and its driver.
How to Help
Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the crash or has relevant video, no matter how minor it may seem, to call Officer Galloway at the CHP Napa Area office at 707-699-6300. Details such as the direction the truck was traveling and the precise time it passed by can help investigators piece together what happened, as outlined in reporting by KRON4.
