A woman and a 5-year-old girl were injured when they were struck by a vehicle that fled the scene in Lompoc on Friday night, but the driver was located with the help of neighbors and a passing driver.

At approximately 7:10 p.m., emergency crews responded to a report of hit-and-run crash involving pedestrians on the 400 block of West Walnut Avenue, said Sgt. Andrew White of the Lompoc Police Department.

Callers told dispatchers that a black Jeep had struck a woman and child while they were crossing the street. 

Residents in the area aided the injured pedestrians and saw the Jeep leaving,

One resident flagged down a vehicle driving by and told the driver to follow the Jeep, White said. The vehicle’s driver obtained the license plate of the Jeep and called police with the information. 

“The effort and information provided by the community resulted in officers locating the vehicle,” White said. 

That led to the arrest of Rafael Rodriguez, 64, on suspicion of felony hit and run. 

Both pedestrians were transported to Marian Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries,White said.

Their names and details on their conditions were not available.