Crime and Courts

Escondido police find off-road SUV that killed man but not its driver

Miguel Leonides Garcia, 58, of Escondido was crossing the street at Broadway and Mission Avenue when a gray 1995 Land Cruiser struck him shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday, officials said

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NBC 7 San Diego

An SUV involved in a hit-and-run pedestrian death at an Escondido intersection Tuesday has been located, the Escondido Police Department announced Thursday.

Miguel Leonides Garcia, 58, of Escondido was crossing the street to the west at Broadway and Mission Avenue when a "off-road style" SUV struck him shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday, the EPD reported.

Following the impact, the driver of the vehicle — which was outfitted with a large spare tire and a red jack attached to its back end — continued driving, fleeing north on Broadway, then east on Lincoln Avenue, police said.

Paramedics took Garcia to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

EPD investigators said in a statement that the gray 1995 Land Cruiser will be processed for evidence. It was unclear how and where it was found, and police did not say who it was registered to.

There have been no arrests and the investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Traffic Investigator Pete McCullough at 760-839-4930.

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