A man in his 50s who was riding his bicycle was killed Thursday when an allegedly impaired driver slammed into at least two parked vehicles and the rider, snapping the bike in half, then ran from the scene.
The motorist was captured a short time later after trying to break into a home nearby, police said.
The crash occurred around 2 a.m. near the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Beachy Avenue, near Arleta High School. Police said driver was going the wrong way and smashed into the parked vehicles and the bicyclist, who died at the scene.
According to police, the driver initially remained at the scene, but when fire crews began responding, he fled on foot. Police set up a perimeter, and he was located when a nearby homeowner reported an attempted break-in.
Neither the suspect or the bicyclist were identified by police. Relatives of the bicyclist, however, identified him to reporters at the scene as Eric Garcia, 51. They said Garcia would often ride his bike to collect cans for financial support, and enjoyed taking his nieces and nephews fishing.
NBC4 reported that alcohol and marijuana were found in the suspect’s car.
— City News Service