Suspect sought in fatal Tacoma hit-and-run that may have been intentional: Authorities
Authorities are searching for a suspect and vehicle in a deadly hit-and-run in Washington state that investigators believe was intentional.
The driver struck a man who was walking his bicycle on the side of a road in Tacoma on Monday, according to Pierce County Sgt. Darren Moss. A 911 caller reported the collision around 7:50 a.m. PT and responding deputies and fire personnel found the victim on the side of the road, authorities said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The name of the victim has not been released.
The sheriff's department believes the collision was intentional based on a witness account and it is being investigated as a homicide, Moss said.
"Based on a witness statement, that's really driving us to investigate it as a homicide, because the last thing we want to do is not elevate and make this investigation a higher priority," Moss told Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO.
Investigators also did not find any tire marks or other indications that the driver tried to prevent leaving the roadway, according to Moss.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department located a video of the suspect's vehicle, which they described as a 2000 to 2006 gold or beige Chevy Tahoe. The vehicle likely has front-end damage, Moss said.
Detectives are also seeking more surveillance footage from the area of the collision from that morning, as well as dash-camera video. Anyone with information on the vehicle or suspect is also urged to call 911.
Moss said they are considering the incident could be linked to social media.
"If anybody in the public knows or sees videos that looks like someone ran over someone and is posting it, please let us know," Moss told KOMO.
Two teens have been charged with murder in a similar incident in Las Vegas. They were allegedly filming themselves intentionally hitting cyclists and pedestrians, including a 64-year-old former police chief who was killed.
