An investigation was ongoing Thursday into what Beaumont police allege was an intentional hit-and-run death involving a 54-year-old man.
Scott J. Charles of San Jacinto was fatally struck shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of East First Street, near Pennsylvania Avenue, according to the Beaumont Police Department.
The suspect, whose identity was not immediately released, was later taken into custody but is now hospitalized due to an unrelated traffic collision, Sgt. Brent Conan said.
He said detectives were still attempting to sort out details regarding exactly what happened, but they’ve so far confirmed “the driver of a pickup truck used it to strike the victim, running over the male subject.”
“The driver of the pickup fled the area before the arrival of law enforcement,” Conan said.
Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location minutes later and pronounced Charles dead at the scene.
According to Conan, at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, patrol officers received information that the pickup identified in the fatality had been involved “in a traffic collision in the unincorporated area of Cabazon.”
Officers arrived a short time later and took the suspect into custody without incident, transporting him to a regional trauma center for treatment of unspecified injuries suffered in the Cabazon crash, the sergeant said.
A possible motive for the alleged roadway attack was not disclosed.
Anyone with information relevant to the investigation was asked to contact detectives at 951-572-3910.