Hit-And-Run Driver Captured After Fleeing Fatal Banning Crash

BANNING, CA — A man walking along a Banning street was struck and killed by a motorist who fled the scene, authorities said Friday.

The fatality occurred around 5:30 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of East Ramsey and Val Monte streets, according to the Banning Police Department.

Capt. Brandon Smith said a driver on East Ramsey spotted the victim, whose identity was not immediately released, lying unconscious in the street and called 911.

Patrol officers arrived within a couple of minutes and confirmed the pedestrian had suffered "injuries indicating that (he) had been struck by a vehicle."

The exact circumstances were unknown.

Riverside County Fire Department paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene a short time later.

"Diligent police work and excellent investigative teamwork led to the identification of a suspect vehicle, a red Cadillac STS," Smith said.

He said a potential match, complete with front-end damage, was located in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 200 block of West Westward Avenue, where a search warrant was served late Thursday night to seize the vehicle.

"The suspect vehicle was collected as evidence, and two subjects were detained from inside the target residence," the captain said. "Both subjects were questioned and later released pending further investigation."

The parties were not identified. The investigation was ongoing Friday.

Anyone with information was urged to contact the police department's Detective Bureau at 951-922-3170.

City News Service