Public help sought in hit-and-run in Buena Park

The following information was released by the Buena Park Police Department.

On June 10, 2012, at approximately 1:03 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Orangethorpe Ave. and Campus Dr. regarding a traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.

Upon investigation officers discovered that a male victim, 20 years of age, had been struck by a vehicle while crossing Campus Dr. at Orangethorpe Ave. The vehicle struck the victim with such force that it caused him to strike the front windshield and the impact propelled him into the air. The driver of the vehicle never stopped and made no attempts to render aid after hitting the victim with his vehicle. The suspect vehicle immediately fled the scene at a high rate of speed after the incident onto Orangethorpe Ave.

The preliminary investigation indicated the incident may have been intentional. This is based on witness statements as well as dramatic video footage captured by a nearby surveillance camera. The vehicle is described as a gold-colored four-door, possible Mitsubishi Galant, with tinted windows. The license plate is unknown at this time. The victim sustained significant non-life-threatening injuries and was later transported to UCI.

The suspect driver was described as a thin male Hispanic, and the front passenger was described as a female Hispanic with her hair up in a bun. The suspect’s vehicle has moderate damage to the front passenger side windshield as a result of the victim’s impact. It is unknown at this time whether the suspect and victim knew one another.

The surveillance footage may be reviewed below. Anyone with information regarding the vehicle, suspect, or passenger is asked to contact Detective Burciaga at 714-562-3970.