San Diego Personal Injury Attorney Blog

ENCINITAS - A hit-and-run collision involving a Ford F-150 pickup truck and a cyclist tragically killed a 47-year-old Encino man, ABC 10 News reported. The victim, James Steven Swarzman, rode competitively and was on a late-night training ride for the upcoming season, when he was struck by a dark colored pickup truck in the 1200 block of North Coast Highway in Leucadia. He was flown by Mercy Air to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla where he died about three hours after the collision. Authorities believe the truck involved in the crash was a 2007 or 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 or a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500 with damage to its front passenger side. Earlier reports erroneously said the vehicle involved in the incident was a Ford F-150.

Hit-and-run collisions are especially disheartening - the driver involved in this crash had every legal and moral obligation to stop at the scene of the incident. Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001(a): "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident."

For the sake of James Swarzman's family and loved ones, we hope that the driver involved in this horrific incident will either come forward to authorities or be located promptly - so that he or she may be held accountable. Anyone with information that could help detectives find the hit-and-run driver is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at (858) 565-5200.

UPDATE: The Union Tribune reported 46-year-old Joseph Ricardo Fernandez of Carlsbad was arrested about 11:15 p.m. Monday in connection with the accident. Read the story here.

Following an incident such as this one, where a death is caused by negligence or a willful intentional act, the family of the victim would be well-advised to consult with an experienced and knowledgeable California bicycle accident lawyer. An attorney who specializes in cycling accidents may be able to help the victim's family in efforts to locate the driver, and advise them of their rights to collect compensation for their loss in an uninsured motorist wrongful death claim, in the event the driver is not located.