Woman Injured In Manteca Hit-And-Run Crash Dies
MANTECA (CBS13) - A Stockton woman who was injured in a hit-and-run crash in Manteca on Sunday died from her injuries.
The San Joaquin County Coroner's Office identified her as 37-year-old Racquel Macias.
Manteca police are now looking for two people witnesses say left her inside the car and ran away.
"We're asking for the public's help who may know who Miss Macias was with that night...to come forward and let us know that information," said Manteca Police Traffic Officer Joshua Sweetin.
Tire marks and broken glass are all that remain of the deadly crash at Woodward Avenue and Buena Vista Drive.
"Tire marks and then just a big old crash," said Cooper Witzberger, who heard the collision from inside the garage of his home.
"Me and my friend were in the garage and we just heard a really loud crash," he said.
When he opened the garage door, Witzberger said, he saw two men running from the scene.
"They were really big dudes," he said. "They looked like they were trying to get away as far as they could."
Witzberger said when the men saw him; they initially slowed down; stumbling down the street past his house. That's when he said he knew something was wrong so he and his family grabbed their cell phones and headed to the scene of the crash.
"We were right in front of it and saw the person in the backseat and everything. We didn't really know what to do," he said.
At that point, he said Macias was still alive.
"She seemed agitated like she wanted to get out too," he said.
When officers arrived, they said Macias had suffered significant injuries. She was placed on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital where Sweetin she died several hours later.
"She was a rear passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident," said Sweetin."The other two people, it's very possible they have injuries which would be consistent with the vehicle collision.
Police said two cars had collided at the busy intersection around 10:30 p.m. including the Toyota Camry Macias was riding in with the two other people seen running way.
Officers said the driver of the other car, a Chevy Tahoe, remained on scene to cooperate with the investigation.
The collision caused the Camry to crash into a wall with so much momentum; the impact caused several bricks to fall.
"It was rolled up on the side next to the barrier and the entire side of it was just smashed. It was demolished," said Witzberger.
Someone had placed a candle on the corner with a hand-written message to Macias. It included a poem for a woman who leaves behind at least one adult daughter.
The daughter identified herself on the Manteca Police Facebook page with a plea to the public.
She wrote in part, "I am the daughter of the last passenger that was left in the car. My mother did not make it and I need to know who did this to my mom. Who she was with and who left her."
Police are also asking for the public's help in finding the persons responsible.
"Obviously with the tragic circumstances, the family is in a rough spot and they're looking for answers," said Sweetin. "Our goal is to bring a conclusion that brings the two responsible that fled the collision scene into custody or at least come in for questioning."
Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has any other information is asked to contact the Manteca Police Department at 209-456-8101.