Neighbor Chases Down Hit-And-Run Driver Who Struck Teen Boy In Dublin
DUBLIN (CBS SF) - A 17-year-old boy took his dog for a walk and ended up in the hospital with serious injuries after a hit-and-run crash in the East Bay.
The hit-and-run happened in Dublin. KPIX 5 went to the scene of the collision and didn't see any skid marks. It appears that what stopped the SUV was a tree.
The victim is a student at Dublin High School who is now in the hospital with internal injuries.
Laura Garrison, a Good Samaritan, said, "I actually thought it had come through my fence. It was very loud."
Right after, neighbors heard the loud screaming from the 17-year-old boy, in pain and on the ground.
Garrison described the scene.
She said, "He kept saying 'where's my dog.' I think he even at one point tried to get up to go look for his dog. And we were just, you know, everyone was saying 'lay down, we'll find your dog.'"
Police say the SUV lost control, jumped the curb, took out a metal pole, and came to a stop after hitting a tree. The pole hit a 17-year-old boy, identified as Zach.
He was walking his dog at the time. The driver struck the boy and then backed up and took off.
A neighbor hopped on his motorcycle and chased after the driver.
Joe Hersevoort, a Good Samaritan and neighbor, said he wasn't going to let the driver get away.
"My wife was killed three years ago, she was run over by a car. So this hits close to home," Hersevoort said.
He tracked down the driver and gave police some good information.
The woman lives in the neighborhood. Police found and impounded the suspected SUV Thursday morning. Police have interviewed a person of interest but said they don't have enough evidence yet to make an arrest.
As for Zach, he's still in the hospital with a lacerated kidney and fractured vertebrae.
Zach's dog ran home and is okay.
