UPDATE: Anderson woman arrested, bicyclist, 65, ID’d after fatal Cottonwood hit and run
UPDATED: Friday, May 28, 2 p.m., With coroner’s release of information.
Originally Published: Wednesday, May 26, 8:45 a.m.
COTTONWOOD, Calif. — Officials today released the name of an Anderson man who was fatally run down by a motorist who then fled the scene, leaving the victim to die along the side of a Cottonwood road during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 25. The victim was fatally struck while riding a bike along Gas Point Road, just east of Happy Valley Road.
The man’s body was not found until late Tuesday morning, at which time California Highway Patrol responded to the scene and began investigating the fatal incident. A woman was later arrested in connection with the deadly hit-and-run, according to the CHP.
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Officers and medical personnel who responded to the scene shortly after 11 a.m. found the victim lying on the side of the road and quickly determined the man had already succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Shasta County Chief Deputy Coroner Lieutenant Stonehouse today identified 65-year-old, Michael “Micky” Don Strausbaugh, of Anderson, as the man killed in the collision.
As part of their investigation, CHP said the involved vehicle was believed to be a red pickup truck with front-end damage and asked that all residents and business owners whose security cameras faced toward Gas Point Road, between North Cottonwood School and Happy Valley Road, to contact the their department immediately.
CHP also requested that anyone with dashcam footage who drove through the area in the late morning hours to contact them.
The request led to the identification of a possible suspect, Victoria M. McDaniel, 27, of Cottonwood who was questioned about the collision and subsequently arrested just after 7 a.m., Wednesday morning.
CHP Officer Jason Morton later said his office received “quite a few phone calls and other tips” that led to McDaniel’s swift identification and arrest.
McDaniel’s red 1998 Dodge Ram was impounded as evidence when she was arrested.
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After her arrest, McDaniel was booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of felony hit-and-run as well as misdemeanor manslaughter.
Online jail records indicate she has since been released from custody.
KRCR News Channel 7 later spoke to area residents who said the amount of reckless driving they see day after day has continued to get worse and has clearly become a life-threatening issue.
After seeing the aftermath of the fatal hit and run, Cottonwood resident Susan Cobb told KRCR, “We saw the victim there and afterwards came home very shook up about seeing it, because there is no place on this road for people to really ride bikes.”
“Traffic goes faster than 55, and there’s been numerous people killed on this road just up the road,” Cobb continued; saying Gas Point Road has continuously been a road where most drivers drive over the speed limit and sometimes cause life-threatening situations similar to the Tuesday’s hit and run.
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The case remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation or who has surveillance footage that may have showed the suspect’s vehicle before or after the deadly collision is encouraged to contact CHP – Redding at (530) 225-0500. Callers can refer to incident file number 9135-2021-10126 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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