Authorities arrested a man suspected of leaving the scene after a fatal hit-and-run last week. Citizens detained him Friday at a bar in Westminster and waited for law enforcement officials to arrive and follow through with the arrest.
Last Wednesday, April 17, a male adult pedestrian was crossing Springdale Street outside of a marked crosswalk when a black Dodge Ram truck slammed into the man in the city of Westminster.
OC Fire Authority paramedics and Westminster police responded to the scene after a phone call was made at around 8:20 p.m.
Emergency respondents did what they could to keep the victim alive, who was later identified as Westminster resident Shawn Keith, a 34-year-old. They performed CPR and later transported the victim to a hospital, where he died as a result of major head injuries.
Reports identified the suspect found at the bar as Derek Wright, a 45-year-old, for the hit-and-run wreck.
Witnesses told authorities that the driver of the truck fled the scene on foot and ditched the vehicle. A passenger in the truck did not flee and decided to remain in the truck until authorities arrived to assist them with the investigation.
It wasn't until the following week that Westminster Police were called into the Posse Bar after employees recognized Wright. They received call them at around 9:16 p.m.
Before authorities arrived to the bar, Wright made an attempt to flee from them once again. This time he was held down by employees and patrons in the parking lot until authorities arrived. Officers then identified Wright and arrested him on the spot. He was booked for manslaughter and felony hit and run.
Authorities are continuing to look into the accident to get a full account of what happened. It has not been determined if Wright was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. Further information regarding the accident has not been made public. Authorities are asking for the public's help in obtaining more information for the case. If you know something in relations to the event, give them a call.
As a pedestrian, it is always important to cross the street at areas designated for crossing and to use precaution when doing that in order to prevent a pedestrian-car accident. You want to always be fully aware of your surroundings. It's not worth the risking and accident to cut the amount of time it takes to get to the crosswalk. As a rule of thumb, if you were involved in any accident, remember to wait for authorities to get to the scene and give them a clear account of what happened - even if you caused the accident.
Paul E. Lee is a car accident lawyer who cares about the community and does work in various California locatons, including Westminster.
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