A 45-year-old Oxnard woman has died after the scooter she was riding was struck by a Nissan Xterra at West Gonzales Road and Snow Avenue, and the driver fled the scene before being tracked down a short distance away. The woman, whose name has been withheld, was transported to a hospital by ambulance but did not survive her injuries.
According to a news release from the Oxnard Police Department, officers and emergency medical crews responded to the crash and found a female victim lying in the road with her scooter nearby. Police say the woman had been riding her scooter southbound on Snow Avenue across Gonzales Road when she was hit by the Xterra, which was traveling eastbound on Gonzales Road, according to Edhat.
The driver, identified by police as 53-year-old Jan Marie Grissinger of Oxnard, left the scene without stopping or rendering aid, per KEYT. She was later located at the intersection of Raiders Way and Dallas Drive, where her Xterra had collided with a fence.
Driver Showed Signs of Drug Impairment, Police Say
Police said Grissinger showed signs of impairment by drugs when she was found, the station's report notes. She was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired, manslaughter and hit-and-run, according to the same account.
Edhat's report adds that Oxnard Police's Traffic Unit responded and took over the investigation. The fatal crash remains under investigation, per the outlet's reporting.
The exact timing of the collision has been reported differently across outlets: Edhat places it on October 22, 2026, at about 10:53 p.m., while KEYT reports it occurred on October 20 at approximately the same time. Oxnard Police have not yet publicly reconciled the discrepancy.
How to Reach Investigators
The Oxnard Police Department is asking anyone with information about the crash to contact Corporal Joseph Clarke at 805-385-7750 or [email protected]. Residents can also reach the department's main line at 805-385-7600, or contact watch commanders at 805-385-7746 or 805-385-7778. Sergeant Mike Gens, identified as the news release contact, can be reached at 805-385-7847 or [email protected], and investigators noted they can also be reached by email outside of standard business hours.
