CHP seeking help in finding hit-and-run driver in Highway 1 bicycle crash

A German bike rider suffered life-threatening injuries while riding along Highway 1 when he was struck by a passing vehicle whose driver didn’t stop, CHP said.

Officers are seeking help in finding the hit-and-run pickup driver. Witnesses said the driver paused after knocking the unidentified bicyclist to the pavement Monday, then fled, CHP Officer Custodio Lopez said.

About 11:50 a.m., the man was riding south on the coastal highway through The Sea Ranch. Near Leeward Spur, the driver began to pass, hitting the rider and breaking off the truck’s side view mirror, the CHP said.

The rider landed in the southbound lane. Witnesses told officers the driver had stopped briefly before continuing down the highway. An ambulance took the rider to a landing zone in nearby Gualala and he was flown by medical helicopter to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

Officers so far haven’t gotten a detailed description of the vehicle, but think it was a dark blue or black pickup with a flatbed, possibly pulling a white trailer, Lopez said. It wasn’t clear Tuesday whether the man was riding alone. Arriving firefighters found multiple people had stopped to try and help, Cal Fire engineer Diane Mibach said.

Officer Lopez asked anyone with information about the vehicle and driver to contact officers at 707-588-1400.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.