A hit-and-run driver in North Highlands left a black side mirror and a bullet-style antenna behind — investigators say the items found at the scene may be the key to tracking down a missing pickup truck. The crash happened Thursday on 32nd Street, and the California Highway Patrol is now asking the public for help identifying the vehicle and its driver.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the CHP North Sacramento office reported that the crash occurred on northbound 32nd Street, south of Elkhorn Boulevard. Investigators described the vehicle involved as a small, dark-colored pickup truck, possibly a Chevrolet S-10 or similar model. The mirror and antenna recovered from the scene are believed to have come from that truck, per investigators, meaning the vehicle may now be driving around with visible damage and missing parts.
The Chevrolet S-10 CHP flagged as a possible match is no small clue for anyone trying to picture the truck in question. It was General Motors's first domestically built compact pickup, produced for the North American market from 1982 through 2004 before the Colorado took its place, according to Wikipedia — meaning any surviving example on the road today is at least 22 years old and still fairly common on the secondhand market.
What CHP Says Could Crack the Case
CHP said even a small piece of information could help investigators identify the vehicle and driver, per the same account. Officers are asking anyone with crash observations, surveillance footage, dash-camera footage, or knowledge of a matching vehicle to come forward. Witnesses are asked to contact Officer Erby or Officer Pudge at the CHP North Sacramento Area Office at 916-348-2300.
The CHP's North Sacramento office is investigating the crash.
A Corridor With a Troubled History
The stretch near 32nd Street and Elkhorn Boulevard has seen its share of serious wrecks before. A December 2024 collision at the intersection left a pedestrian with major injuries, according to the Pacific Attorney Group. The corridor's troubles are backed by county data: the Sacramento County Local Road Safety Plan identifies key intersections along Elkhorn Boulevard among the unincorporated county's higher-frequency locations for fatal and severe-injury crashes.
The corridor also made headlines last month after a fiery fatal crash on Elkhorn.
Part of a Bigger, Troubling Pattern
This case fits into a broader regional trend. Sacramento County ranked first among 15 large California county jurisdictions for speed-related fatal and injury collisions in 2023 crash ranking data, recording 745 speed-involved crashes, per the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Just this week, Hoodline reported on a separate case in which a motorcyclist died after an SUV sped off on Watt Avenue, another hit-and-run also under CHP North Sacramento jurisdiction.
Anyone with information — from a glimpse of the damaged truck to dash-cam footage from Thursday — is urged to call the CHP North Sacramento Area Office.
