Pedestrian killed in apparent hit-and-run in Santa Rosa

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a mid-size pickup truck early Friday morning along a roadway in northeast Santa Rosa. Police are seeking the driver who they said fled the scene of the suspected hit-and-run.

The Sonoma County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Michael John Campbell, 25, of Santa Rosa.

The collision happened at about 1:20 a.m. along westbound Highway 12, just west of Middle Rincon Road. Shortly after the crash, a passerby on Highway 12 flagged down a Santa Rosa police officer to report an unconscious man lying on the shoulder of the westbound lanes.

Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police closed the westbound lanes of the highway until about 5 a.m. while they investigated. The front grill and passenger side headlight to a blue 2006 Mitsubishi Raider pickup truck were found, and anyone who witnessed the incident or sees a vehicle matching the description is asked to call Santa Rosa police at 707-528-5222.

Santa Rosa traffic Sgt. Summer Gloeckner said fatal pedestrian collisions have accounted for the majority of recent deaths on city roadways. She cited a number of factors, including the time of day and pedestrians not using designated crosswalks.

“Obviously darkness can make it more treacherous for pedestrians,” she said.

Including Friday’s crash, there have been at least five hit-and-run accidents fatalities in Santa Rosa in the last year, according to Press Democrat archives.

In October, former preschool teacher Jenell Marie Davies, 39, of Santa Rosa, was hit and killed in the crosswalk at the intersection of Stony Point and Occidental roads by the driver of a Chevy truck.

The month before, Mathew Thomas Eck, 37, was killed at the same intersection after being struck by two cars, both of which fled the scene.

In July, 35-year-old Lusiano Garcia, of Santa Rosa, was struck and killed on Stony Point Road while bicycling to visit his children, by two different drivers who both fled the scene.

In June, Jose Sanchez Lozano, 88, of Santa Rosa, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the crosswalk at the intersection of Santa Rosa Avenue and Court Street.

Early in February of this year, 7-year-old Hazel Conzet was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The girl survived, and the crash was caught on dramatic video that led to the arrest of a suspect in the case.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kfixler. You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Beale at 707-521-5205 or andrew.beale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @iambeale.