A man out jogging in the Ocean Beach area was struck and killed by a driver in a speeding sedan early Thursday, December 5, and San Diego police have recovered an abandoned vehicle suspected of being involved.
A witness told police the sedan and two other cars were traveling at a high rate of speed when the pedestrian was struck around 5 a.m. on Nimitz Boulevard and West Point Loma Boulevard, police Officer David O’Brien said. The victim died before he could be taken to a hospital.
None of the drivers stopped after the man was struck, he said.
“There were two other cars driving at high rates of speed, possibly a red Dodge Charger and a white Mustang,” he said. “We can’t confirm they were racing. We weren’t at the scene.”
Officers recovered an abandoned dark sedan believed involved in the crash on Canon Street and Rosecrans Street shortly before 6:50 a.m., O’Brien said.
Police have closed off several streets in the area to conduct the investigation, including West Point Loma Boulevard from Castelar Street to Valeta Street.
OnScene TV video showed a black BMW with front-end damage that was found by police.
Lately, Nimitz has become a motorcycle raceway. It has been going on for some time and there does not appear to be any police action. Maybe the word is out and now cars are using the same stretch to race. The regular speed limit on Nimitz needs to be dropped to at least 30 mph.
Speed limit won’t do anything because we don’t have enough cops in the city to police every single street without automated surveillance. Nimitz needs to be redesigned to be less of a mini-freeway and as more of a street that cuts through a residential area with parks and a school nearby. Street racing on that stretch is attractive because the infrastructure allows.
One of our writers sent this info gleaned from the SDPD Watch Commander’s Log:
More info on fatal hit and run. Unfortunately this is another example of the “victim” being at least partially at fault. He ran against a red light. Bike and pedestrian advocates refuse to acknowledge the fact that it’s not always the driver’s fault or that, as in this case, there is some degree of negligence on both sides.”
7SanDiego update:
Witnesses told police a black BMW appeared to be street racing with a white Ford Mustang around 5 a.m. southbound on Nimitz Blvd. A pedestrian began to cross Nimitz Boulevard against a red light and was struck by the BMW, SDPD officer David O’Brien said.
The BWM fled the scene but was later located unoccupied at 3500 Canon Street.
Police are searching for the driver of the Mustang as well as the driver of the BMW suspected of striking the pedestrian. Department of Defense personnel were assisting with the search in the military base-adjacent neighborhood.
“We believe this may have a street racing nexus,” SDPD Officer Michael Denigan said. “Two vehicles, both modified sports cars, traveling at a high rate of speed.”
The pedestrian, who was identified as being between 20 to 30 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene, SDPD said.
Thank you for following up with more than just the victim blaming comment. Street racing and hit-and-run aside, this is not a safe place for cyclists, pedestrians, or autos. I think there’ve been 60+ collisions at this intersection in the past decade? 7 lanes are a little much, green paint and plastic posts aren’t protecting anyone, and for pedestrians, it’s too bad there are no rights-of-way on either side beyond the trees.
Long term, Nimitz would make for a great return of an airport trolley loop connecting Sports Arena Blvd to Harbor Dr.
Thank you for your work and your comments. I am sickened that this could ever be considered negligence on the part of the jogger. Witnesses all state street racing. I’m sure the young man never anticipated a high-speed threat before sun-up. This is a tragedy and the fact that the driver abandoned their car is horrible and mind-blowing. Look at the condition of the car. That’s not speed limit damage on Nimitz. A family was ruined today.
Whether you like it or not, sometimes victims share in their misfortune. If he ran against a red light, he took a chance. That doesn’t excuse what these idiot drivers did but it is a fact.
It doesn’t really make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but the location in the article is off. It wasn’t at West Point Loma and Nimitz. It was at the intersection of Atascadero/Tennyson and Nimitz judging from the concentration of police etc there yesterday morning.
A commenter named Paul Anderson left a long comment just tearing me and Geoff Page to shreds for supposedly blaming the victim, for not using the word “tragedy” to describe what happened and demanded that Geoff attend the person’s funeral. Please peruse the comments here and let us know where we simply blamed this poor soul as a victim. Instead we feel we sought to round out the facts of the incident. Blame us for that, Paul, and sorry we didn’t fit your agenda-motivated sensibilities.
And yeah, I deleted his comment.
Paul, if you can be civil and discuss the issues — not blame your perceived opponents like me and Geoff — then comment away.
That was not a “victim blaming” comment. It was simply pointed out that the victim was crossing against a red light in the dark. That is fact and it contributed to the tragedy. Just because a victim may be partly responsible for what happened that does not constitute “victim blaming.”
Anyone know any updates on this? You’d think they would be able to run the plates or VIN of the car they found in like 2 seconds and we’d have a name or at least know if the vehicle was stolen etc.
Wondering the same. What’s up with the car that was found and who was driving it?
I totally agree!,, That’s what I want to know.. who are they protecting?
Yeah with it taking so long people start to question and it all starts to feel weird and fishy.
Dozens of people showed up for a vigil to honor the man killed in a hit-and-run crash last week in Point Loma. Michael Casey Ellis only lived in San Diego for a year, but in that short time, he left a lasting impact on many people.
Ellis’ coworkers organized the vigil. Nearly 100 people attended, sharing stories and memories about Casey, who worked as a safety engineer at the Chula Vista Bayfront project.
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/friends-honor-jogger-killed-in-point-loma-hit-and-run#google_vignette
December 13, 2024) — A man died in a pedestrian accident on Nimitz Boulevard near Chatsworth Boulevard early Thursday.
San Diego Police officers responded to a report of a pedestrian being hit around 6:18 a.m. Upon dispatch to the busy Point Loma road where a jogger died just over a week before, authorities learned that a similar incident had occurred.
For an unknown reason, the driver of a red Kia struck a male pedestrian. The victim sustained a serious head injury and was taken to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. However, he passed away moments later. Officials have not released his identity.
The driver stayed at the scene and was questioned by officers. Police, however, did not specify the leading cause but are investigating the details.
This 10 News story saying how the friends and family wish the driver would turn themselves in. Well who owns the vehicle? Why hasn’t their name been blasted on the news? Or if the vehicle was stolen, why hasn’t that been put out there? Makes no sense. Unless there has been an update I missed?
Is there still no update on the driver? I don’t get it. They have the car, so why aren’t they saying anything at all?
Yeah I haven’t seen any updates at all. Really doesn’t make any sense. To all of us who are not law enforcement, we assume it would be pretty quick to run a plate or VIN and get the owner info. Am I missing something?
I am writing to Tony to ask for a follow on his initial reporting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KYnlAV5o_o
December 13, 2024 — A man died in a pedestrian accident on Nimitz Boulevard near Chatsworth Boulevard early Thursday.
San Diego Police officers responded to a report of a pedestrian being hit around 6:18 a.m. Upon dispatch to the busy Point Loma road where a jogger died just over a week before, authorities learned that a similar incident had occurred.
For an unknown reason, the driver of a red Kia struck a male pedestrian. The victim sustained a serious head injury and was taken to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. However, he passed away moments later. Officials have not released his identity.
The driver stayed at the scene and was questioned by officers. Police, however, did not specify the leading cause but are investigating the details.