At approximately 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, a 91-year- old Goleta resident called the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to say he was the one to hit a 14-year-old bicyclist Tuesday at N. Fairview Avenue and Cathedral Oaks Road.
He claimed after the incident happened he stopped to check on the teenager but was unaware he needed to stay on scene to provide his information.
California State Law requires any driver involved in a collision to make contact with the other party and provide their complete information.
The case will be forwarded to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review with the recommended charge of felony hit and run.
On Tuesday around 8 a.m., a 14-year-old male juvenile was riding his bicycle to school and was crossing the intersection of North Fairview Avenue and Cathedral Oaks Road when he was struck by a vehicle.
The juvenile was ejected onto the hood of the vehicle and then onto the roadway. The driver of the vehicle stopped briefly but then fled the scene prior to emergency personnel arriving.
The driver also made no effort to provide his information to anyone at the scene, Hoover said. The vehicle was last seen driving southbound on Fairview Avenue.
Sheriff’s deputies along with Santa Barbara County Fire and American Medical Response paramedics responded to the scene.
A family member drove the teenager to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. Fortunately, he is expected to make a full recovery.
The driver was described by several witness as an older Caucasian or Asian male adult, possibly in his 60s, with thinning or balding white hair. He was described as approximately 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall with a thin build. He was also wearing round sunglasses.
The vehicle was described as an older model (possibly from the early 2000s) white Chevrolet Impala with the distinctive Impala emblem on the rear of the car. There is possibly some minor damage to the hood of the vehicle.
Anyone with information regarding this vehicle or driver, and any possible witnesses, are encouraged to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at 805.681.4100 or Deputy Thomas Green with the Goleta Traffic Unit at 805.961.7518. To leave an anonymous tip, please call 805.681.4171.
The Sheriff’s Office would also like to take this opportunity to remind drivers to use caution when driving around school areas or regular paths children take to school to prevent injury collisions.
Kelly Hoover is a spokeswoman with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.