CHP names suspect in deadly hit & run crash in Mecca
One person was killed and another was seriously injured in a hit-and-run head-on collision in Mecca on Saturday, and now the California Highway Patrol has named a suspect who was believed to be behind the wheel at the time of the crash.
Officers said the driver suspected of causing the crash is 23-year-old Ernesto Rodriguez from Thermal. The suspect ran away after the head-on collision, leaving his passenger, a 55-year-old man from Coachella, seriously injured at the scene.
The crash happened on Hammond Road, just south of 68th Avenue.
The collision claimed the life of a 56-year-old man from Mecca who was driving a Honda Civic southbound on Hammond Road at about 2:40 p.m. The coroner hasn’t released the victim’s name yet.
Rodriguez is suspected of driving a Chevrolet Malibu northbound on Hammond Road when, for unknown reasons, he entered the southbound lane, striking the right front of the Honda.
The victim driving the Honda died at the scene. The passenger in the suspect’s car was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center with major injuries, according to the CHP.
Officers continue to investigate the crash. Anyone with information about the collision, or the suspect, is asked to call Officer Maclis with the Indio CHP Office at 760-772-8911.
News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will bring you new details as soon as they’re available.
