The San Diego Tribune reports that a 27-year-old woman was walking along 78 Freeway in Vista when she was struck and killed by a driver believed to be under the influence of alcohol.
Officer Hunter Gerber of the California Highway Patrol told reporters that a Volkswagen sedan struck and killed the Oceanside resident at approximately 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
The driver of the Volkswagen did not stop and fled the scene of the fatal crash.
Investigators say that the suspect driver returned to the fatal crash scene approximately one hour later and saw the pedestrian she hit lying along the right shoulder of the highway. The suspect then drove to an area gas station near the fatal crash site and called 911.
According to Officer Gerber, CHP patrol officers found the suspected driver at the filling station. The female driver was arrested for hit-and-run, failure to render aid, and driving under the influence.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene and began CPR on the woman. Despite all attempts to save her life, the woman died from her injuries while en route to the hospital.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office later said that the victim was walking around a road construction sign and into the westbound lanes of the 78 Freeway when she was struck and killed.
The San Diego District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case for prosecution.
No further information was available at the time of the report.
