There was a hit-and-run crash in Old Town San Diego on Sunday, April 23, and as a result a 29-year-old woman was left with life-threatening injuries, according to San Diego Police.

Paramedics at scene after hit and run accident

At around 6:15 PM on Sunday evening, two women were walking on the sidewalk on Harney Street close to San Diego Avenue.  A man driving a gold or tan Ford F-350 pulled up to let the women in, unfortunately some very poor driving led to serious injury.

As the first woman got in, the truck driver kept moving forward and stopping the vehicle according to police. The 29-year-old woman then fell into the street while trying to get in and the truck ran her over. Nothing is currently known about the second woman. The driver, who according to police was a 30-year-old male, drove off. The injuries suffered by the woman were extensive:

  • An 8-by-6 inch abrasion to her left thigh
  • A cut on the left side of her head that severed the temporal artery

Police said the San Diego hit-and-run injury victim’s injuries were life-threatening.

While it is unclear if the man driving the truck knew the women, he seriously broke the law by leaving the scene of an accident.

There was video of the incident that police are using to investigate the crime to see if they can find the driver and the truck. A shuttle driver saw the 29-year-old woman get run over, and witnesses described chaos at the incident. The shuttle driver assumed they were playing some sort of game, but other witnesses were terrified for the woman’s health and survival. At first, the driver drove off, then he seemed to be turning around, but ultimately drove off.

“Hit and run collisions are dangerous, and sometimes deadly,” said attorney Gerald Singleton of Singleton Schreiber. “This woman is still in her 20’s and we hope for her quick recovery, she has her whole life ahead of her.”

Singleton Schreiber personal injury and hit-and-run injury attorneys can be reached at 559-702-0846 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.

Old Town Hit-And-Run Crashes

Any type of hit-and-run incident is illegal. Drivers must share insurance information and possibly wait for police to arrive to file a formal report. Hit and run accidents involving an injury can have serious consequences, with penalties ranging from $10,000 fines to prison terms of up to four years. In this incident, this could turn into a homicide and/or wrongful death case because the woman suffered a serious head injury and is fighting for her life.

A severed temporal artery can cause fatal bleeding. The temporal artery is the vein seen most often near the temple of a person’s head and is the major artery of the head. It connects to the external carotid artery.

Any injury to a major artery has several consequences:

  • Blood loss will be greater because it’s a main passageway for blood in the body
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to loss of blood which will also cause a loss of oxygen, which can result in brain damage

There can also be other forms of complications.

San Diego Truck Crash

There have been dozens of truck crashes in San Diego of late, which could be the result of people spending more time outside because of recent warm weather. Regardless, these types of truck crash injuries are horrible for the victim and the community. This woman likely has family members that are worried about her recovery.

Any hit and run accident will cause panic and chaos for bystanders who may not know how to handle the situation. With a woman bleeding onto the sidewalk, trying to administer CPR will be extremely difficult, and even moving her without proper medical training could make the injury even worse. The truck collision likely caused blunt force trauma as well, and these injuries will take time to heal.

“The man driving the truck deserves jail time, and everyone involved in this crash needs to be held accountable,” San Diego hit and run injury attorney Jerry Singleton said. “Truck crashes like this make everyone afraid, but our main hope is for this young woman’s recovery.”

Singleton Schreiber attorneys can be reached at 619-367-7768 or by emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.