A man riding his bicycle in Costa Mesa on Tuesday suffered from injuries after he was the victim of a hit and run incident. The alleged driver was detained after police sought public assistance through social media.
Around 8:30 a.m. on March 20 a man was riding his bike near a Costa Mesa intersection when a car made impact with him. The vehicle left the 56-year-old man wounded on the side of the road and drove off.
Someone noticed the cyclist injured in the street and alerted the authorities after approaching to assist him. Costa Mesa police along with Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue proceeded to the scene of the accident. The man was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with a compound fracture of the ankle.
During their investigation, the police department discovered footage of a vehicle that they speculated was the car involved in the hit and run accident. In an attempt to identify the driver of the black Mercedes Benz depicted they release an online statement detailing the circumstances of the event and included video and pictures of the car, asking the public to notify the authorities if they had any information.
Several people who saw the post and pictures called the department and reported that they believed the driver was Pratiti Renee Mehta of Costa Mesa.
33-year-old Mehta was arrested on Saturday evening as the suspected driver of the vehicle involved in the incident, and she was accused of felony hit and run resulting in injury.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a hit and run, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.