Santa Maria Hit and Run Driver Critically Injures Bicyclist

It was a busy Thursday night for Santa Maria Police responding to several calls of vehicle accidents, some involving pedestrians or bicyclists others with hit and run drivers.

“We actually had multiple hit and run collisions last night”, says SMPD Lt. James Ginter, “one involving a seriously injured gentleman, the other four were found to be a drunk driver and parked vehicles.”

The hit and run collision that caused the most serious injury involved a car or truck that hit a bicyclist on North Broadway at the intersection with Roemer Way.

Santa Maria Police say they found a 68 year old man lying in the street and unresponsive.

Police say the man was riding along the side of the road and was hit from behind sometime after 11:00pm Thursday night.

The bicyclist was unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital.

The driver that hit him took off.

“The bicyclist who was struck in the area of Roemer and Broadway was very serious with critical injuries”, Lt. Ginter says, “we have no information on that so anybody that has any information we would really like some assistance with this.”

Santa Maria has a high number of hit and run accidents every year.

The problem is largely blamed on a greater number of unlicensed and or uninsured drivers in the city.