Driver arrested after allegedly hitting and killing elderly man in Phoenix, PD says
PHOENIX - A man was run over and killed in Phoenix early Sunday morning, police said, and the driver was caught not long after allegedly fleeing the scene.
At around 6 a.m. on July 28, officers responded to reports of an injured person near Bell and Cave Creek roads around 6 a.m. That's where they found a dead man with obvious signs of trauma.
An investigation revealed the man was hit by a car. That driver left the scene, police said.
"It sounded like somebody hit our mailbox," a neighbor said. "I looked down there, seen the bike and put two and two together."
The victim is Eduardo Ramirez Jimenez, 81.
"During their initial investigation, officers discovered evidence on scene and located a vehicle nearby with damage consistent with a recent collision. Officers located the driver, 27-year-old Alberto Chilel Santos, and detained him. When Chilel Santos was taken into custody, he showed signs of impairment," police said.
Investigators believe Santos veered into oncoming traffic, then onto the sidewalk where he hit Jimenez. Police believe Jimenez was standing next to his bike when he was hit.
"Chilel Santos admitted to driving off after the collision but was not aware anyone was hit," police said.
Santos is accused of manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision.