A 69-year-old woman was killed late Friday night in a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Palm Avenue in Garden Grove, after a witness followed the fleeing driver until officers managed to pull the vehicle over. The driver was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, and investigators believe impairment may have contributed to the collision.
According to KTLA, a witness called 911 after seeing a white 2014 Cadillac SRX strike the woman and leave the scene. That witness then followed the Cadillac until Garden Grove police officers were able to stop the vehicle, according to the same report. Orange County Fire Authority personnel arrived to find the woman unresponsive at the intersection.
Reports differ slightly on the exact timing of the crash. The Orange County Register reports a witness called police about 11:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, to report a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash at Harbor Boulevard and Palm Avenue, while the Orange County Tribune put the report time at around 11:16 p.m. that same night. Either way, the crash unfolded within minutes on a Friday night in Garden Grove, and a bystander's decision to stay on the fleeing driver's tail proved pivotal to the arrest.
Victim Rushed to Hospital, Later Pronounced Dead
The woman was transported to UCI Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, where she was later pronounced dead, the station's report states. Her identity has not been released. The driver's identity was also not immediately released, per the same account, even after the arrest on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.
Investigators believe impairment may have contributed to the collision, although police did not specify whether alcohol or drugs were suspected, the outlet notes. No further details about the driver's statements or the specifics of the stop have been made public.
Garden Grove Police Still Investigating
The Garden Grove Police Department's Neighborhood Traffic Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, according to the report. A similar account of the fatal hit-and-run was earlier shared by the Facebook page California Accident Alerts, which likewise described the woman being struck and killed and the driver fleeing before being stopped.
Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to call the Garden Grove Police Department at 714-741-5230, per the Register. The investigation remains open as authorities continue piecing together what led up to the deadly encounter on Harbor Boulevard.
