Man Killed When Hit While Riding Bicycle

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Sunday, March 5, 2000

"Man Killed When Hit While Riding Bicycle"

Los Angeles – On Friday, March 3, 2000 at approximately 9:40 p.m. a fatal traffic collision occurred in the 800 block of north Mission Road. Mr. Rafael Serrano a twenty-six year old resident of East Los Angeles was driving his burgundy 1997 Ford Taurus northbound on Mission Road when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with Mr. Jose Contreras, a 44 year old resident of East Los Angeles, as he rode his bicycle northbound on Mission Road adjacent to the east curb. Serrano’s vehicle continued out of control causing him to collide with the east curb, a lamp standard, a parked car, and another pole which caused his vehicle to rotate and collide with another parked car. Mr. Contreras’s body traveled along with Serrano’s vehicle and finally came to rest on the east sidewalk adjacent to Serrano’s vehicle

Serrano abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot without identifying himself or rendering aid to Mr. Contreras, who later died at the scene of the collision as a result of massive blunt force trauma. Police Officers were flagged down by a passing motorist and shortly there after closed down the northbound parking lane of Mission Road. After an extensive period of time, Mr. Serrano returned to the scene of the collision and advised the reporting officers that he was in fact the driver of the Hit and Run vehicle.

Serrano was questioned and determined to be under the influence of an intoxicant and later booked at Jail Division for Murder.

Any questions or information in regards to this collision should be forwarded to Detective Michael Kaden at Central Traffic Division’s Follow-up Unit at 213-485-3111, or Central Traffic Division’s Watch Commander at 213-485-3122.

For Release 8:00 am PST
March 5, 2000