Man Arrested In Deadly Hit-And-Run Crash In Escondido

ESCONDIDO, CA — A man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a hit-and-run collision that killed a pedestrian last year in Escondido authorities said.

Miguel Leonides Garcia, 58, was fatally struck by a truck while walking to work Sept. 17, 2024 at the intersection of Mission Avenue and Broadway, according to the Escondido Police Department. The suspect fled the scene.

Following a seven-month investigation, police found the truck and identified Lair Marin Salas, 42, of Escondido as the driver of the vehicle. Salas was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run.

"Investigators spent hundreds of hours investigating this crime," Interim Chief of Police Ryan Banks said in a statement. "Through their expertise, attention to detail and analysis of the evidence, justice will be served for the victim's family."