Two people were arrested in separate hit-and-run crashes within 24 hours of each other that left two men dead on the same stretch of road in Gilroy.
The first crash was reported Sept. 12 at about 8:54pm on Wren Avenue at El Cerrito Way, where a Gilroy man was struck by a Jeep Cherokee SUV as he was walking in the area, according to Gilroy Police. The driver sped off, prompting police to ask for surveillance footage and for witnesses to come forward.
The man, who has not been identified, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
On Sept. 14 at 10:23am, the driver, identified as 54-year-old Gilroy resident Derek Shingu, turned himself in to the Gilroy Police Department, according to police. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on the charges of hit-and-run resulting in death or injury and vehicular manslaughter.
Shingu is currently not being held in custody, according to jail records.
On Sept. 13 at 5:37pm, a 92-year-old Gilroy man riding a mobility scooter through the intersection of First Street and Wren Avenue died after he was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene, according to police.
Police said that, thanks to witness statements, officers were able to quickly identify the suspect vehicle using the city’s recently installed Flock Safety Camera System, which can capture the make, model, color, aesthetics and the full, partial or missing license plate of any vehicle that passes the cameras. A 16-year-old male was later identified as the driver and subsequently arrested.
He was booked into Juvenile Hall on charges of hit-and-run resulting in death or injury and vehicular manslaughter.
Anyone with information about the Sept. 13 crash is asked to contact Major Accident Investigation Team Investigator Rene Arbizu at 408.846.0541. For the Sept. 12 incident, contact MAIT Investigator Julio Romero at 408.846.0523.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the Tip Line at 408.846.0330.
