South Sacramento area sees hundreds of hit-and-runs monthly, CHP says
SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento area sees hundreds of hit-and-runs monthly, according to the CHP. Increased traffic since the start of the pandemic is just one reason why, but how are investigators handling the workload?
CBS13 spoke to one man who was hit while riding his motorcycle in south Sacramento.
Derek Meek and Debbra Conrad met in High School.
"He was my boyfriend in high school," Conrad said.
After graduation, they drifted apart until life eventually brought them back together. But two years into their engagement, Conrad almost lost her love again.
"It's a hard one. How could somebody leave the scene of an accident not knowing if this person is dead or alive?" she said.
Meek was on his motorcycle heading to a store in south Sacramento. He turned around when he realized he forgot his wallet.
"As he turned, he saw a car down this side street," Conrad said.
"He was just going super fast. I was like 'Is this man going to stop?' " Meek said.
We spoke to Meek over Zoom. He's been in the hospital since the accident and said the person who hit him took off after the collision.
"I could not tear my view of sight away from that foot, the blood just shooting out," he said.
Meek's possible hit-and-run collision is being investigated by the Sacramento Police Department, which was not available for comment, so CBS13 spoke to the CHP to get answers on how often accidents like this happen. The numbers are startling.
"We average about 120 hit-and-run crash reports a month," said CHP spokesperson Mark Leavitt.
He said that's just in south Sacramento, and so far in 2022, his officers have taken 1,015 combined misdemeanor and felony hit-and-run reports and the workload can slow down investigations.
"We do try to gain as much info as possible from witnesses cameras intersections local businesses," said Leavitt.
Meek is still waiting to hear back from the Sacramento Police Department, in the meantime, he's feeling lucky to be alive.
"I'm hopeful that's all I can be. I could be dead," said Meek.
CBS13 reached out to the Sacramento Police Department to ask about the investigation and if they're pursuing a suspect or specific vehicle. We did not immediately hear back.