A warrant has been issued for an Oceanside man accused of vehicular manslaughter in the death of a woman jogging along a main route in Carlsbad five months ago.
Early in the morning on December 28, a Ford Expedition drove up on the sidewalk along Carlsbad Boulevard just north of Tamarack Avenue.
Nicole Lynch, 51, of Carlsbad was jogging with her daughter along the sidewalk when she was struck by the SUV. Lynch died from her injuries.
While investigators did not reveal any possible reasons for the collision, police did say the driver may have been distracted by his 3-year-old daughter in the backseat.
Despite an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court and driving on a suspended license, Knight was not arrested.
Now, Carlsbad Police report that an arrest warrant has been issued for the driver of the Expedition, 52-year-old Joseph Knight.
Knight was thought to be living somewhere in the Oceanside area, but his exact whereabouts are unknown.
"We attempted to locate Mr. Knight on our own through various investigative means," said Carlsbad police Lt. Mickey Williams. "We believe he is still in the Oceanside and Carlsbad area, but we have not been able to arrest on warrant and that's why we are asking for the public's help."
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Frustration that Knight hasn't yet been arrested was mounting among family members, even back in February.
"He's free to keep driving around on a suspended license, killing other people and nobody cares," said Pat Lynch, the victim's husband.
In response, Williams said it was a matter of police being thorough with their investigation.
"It's a tragic event period. It's a horrible accident that occurred, but we have a responsibility to make sure before we arrest someone for a crime like manslaughter we do a thorough investigation and make sure the arrest is warranted and justified," Williams said. "That's what we did."
Anyone with information can contact investigators at (760) 931-2197.
