Categories: Car Accidents

Car Owner Sought After Fatal Orange County Hit-And Run

Ten weeks after a skateboarder was struck and killed in a hit-and-run car accident in Orange County, local authorities are still looking for a person of interest who they believe may have fled to Mexico.

According to county new sources, the California hit-and-run accident occurred in the early hours of September 7, 2012, in Laguna Niguel at the intersection Golden Lantern and Marina Hills. Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene just before 4:00 am, where they found 20-year-old Carlos Eduardo Salas of Laguna Niguel lying in the street. The young man was rushed to Mission Hospital for treatment, but later died of his injuries.

According to witness accounts, Salas was riding his skateboard when he was struck by a black 1998 Nissan Maxima driving on Golden Lantern. Salas was hit from behind and then dragged several dozen feet. The driver who struck him did not stop, call for help, or render medical aid. The car, which was found abandoned near by, was registered to Laguna Niguel resident 29-year-old Urbano Carrasco Martinez, also known as Mario Urbano Carrasco Martinez.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the accident and would like to speak with Martinez, who they believe may have fled across the border to Mexico. While they are unsure who was driving the car on the night of the crash, a witness described the driver as a short, 160-pound Hispanic man in his late 20’s with dark hair.

A cross marks the spot where Salas was killed, and friends and loved ones gathered to remember him. In addition, a fund was started to raise funeral costs.

Shawn