UPDATED: Suspect identified in fatal Corona hit and run
UPDATE: 09/06/2016 7:15 p.m. With information from Corona Police Department
CORONA – Sunday evening at about 9 p.m., about 18 hours after the fatal hit and run collision happened, Corona Police traffic investigators identified an 18-year-old Riverside man as the driver in the deadly collision.
Traffic investigators have not disclosed the suspect’s name, as their investigation is ongoing and additional witnesses still need to be interviewed.
The driver is now cooperating with the investigation and has provided police with a statement.
ORIGINAL STORY
CORONA – A woman was killed while crossing a street when she was struck by a vehicle that then fled the scene in a hit and run collision Sunday, Sept. 4. The fatal incident happened shortly before 3 a.m. in the 1400 block of East Sixth Street near El Camino Avenue in Corona.
Emergency first responders from the Corona Police and Fire Departments rushed to the scene of the accident after City of Corona emergency dispatchers received a 911 call reporting an unconscious female found lying in the roadway.
When officers arrived they found a woman in the traffic lanes of eastbound Sixth Street. Officers and medical personnel determined the victim had succumbed to her injuries and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coroner’s officials later identified the victim as Diana Mellott, 33, of Riverside. The coroner’s release indicated Mellott’s time of death was 3:06 a.m.
The Corona Police Department’s Collision Response Team responded to the location and began investigating the fatal collision.
During the course of their investigation, officials obtained video footage from the area that revealed the victim was struck at 2:47 a.m. by a light-colored sedan traveling east on Sixth Street.
The driver of the vehicle failed to stop to check on the victim or render any aid to the downed pedestrian. The driver fled eastbound on Sixth Street before emergency services arrived on scene.
This is an active and ongoing investigation. No arrests have been made in this case and it is unknown if alcohol, drugs, or speed were factors in the collision.
Anyone with information about this investigation or the driver of the vehicle that fled is encouraged to contact Officer Tim Najmulski at (951) 736-2330 or via his email.
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