A woman died at the scene early Saturday after a driver struck her while she was crossing South Mollison Avenue in El Cajon and then fled without stopping, according to police. The El Cajon Police Department said it received reports of the collision near East Washington Avenue and South Mollison Avenue, and officers have not released a description of the vehicle or the driver who left her there.
Driver Fled After Striking Woman in Crosswalk Area
According to police, the unidentified woman was crossing South Mollison Avenue at its intersection when she was struck by a car whose driver did not stay behind, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. She died at the scene. The newspaper's report notes that investigators have not disclosed a description of the fleeing vehicle or its driver, leaving the public with little to go on as the search continues.
Fleeing the scene of a crash that results in death or injury is not treated lightly under California law. Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, leaving the scene of such a collision may be charged as a misdemeanor depending on the circumstances; felony hit-and-run carries 16 months, two years, or three years in prison, according to the Griffin Law Office. The potential charge depends on the circumstances.
Not the First Fatal Crash Along This Corridor
This is not the first time South Mollison Avenue has turned deadly for pedestrians. In August 2026, a 74-year-old man was struck and killed near East Chase Avenue and South Mollison Avenue, per the 619 News Media account of that incident, which noted the driver in that case stayed at the scene and cooperated with officers. A separate incident involved a woman who died weeks after being struck on North Mollison Avenue, according to the Accident News 24/7.
El Cajon has also seen fleeing drivers caught through technology before. In August 2025, a pedestrian pushing a shopping cart was killed in a hit-and-run near East Chase and Avocado avenues. The Hoodline report said, citing the El Cajon Police Department, that police used automated license plate readers to track the suspect vehicle to a nearby residence, where the driver admitted to being behind the wheel.
A Citywide Camera Network and a Troubling Record
El Cajon works with Flock Safety, and license plate readers have investigative uses, as discussed in reporting by inewsource. Whether license plate readers captured any trace of Saturday's fleeing vehicle has not been disclosed.
The city's broader crash record underscores why officials keep returning to these tools. According to 2023 California Office of Traffic Safety data, 572 people were killed or injured in traffic collisions in El Cajon, ranking the city 11th out of 62 California cities of comparable population size for overall crash victim rates, per an analysis from attorney Barry P. Goldberg. Hoodline has also covered efforts to address deadly streets through infrastructure fixes.
Nighttime Risk and a Countywide Pattern
Roughly 75% of pedestrian fatalities in San Diego County occur during dark, nighttime hours, according to an analysis of SWITRS collision records by the Melinda J. Helbock Law Offices. Countywide, more than 23,000 total motor vehicle collisions were recorded in 2025, according to California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data cited by the Coast Law Group.
El Cajon police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call 619-579-3311. No arrests have been announced, and investigators have released no further details about the vehicle involved.
