A 28-year-old Castroville man was found in the middle of
Monterey Street after a hit and run left him badly wounded.
A 28-year-old Castroville man was found in the middle of Monterey Street after a hit and run left him badly wounded.
At 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Gilroy police responded to a reported collision on the 7900 block of Monterey Street and found the victim lying in the center median. He was suffering from significant injuries, police said, but was conscious and breathing. A second victim suffered minor cuts and scrapes.
The hit and run marks the 10th major incident downtown this year, including several armed robberies, a sexual assault and a homicide, and Police Chief Denise Turner is considering the idea of opening a downtown substation to increase police presence.
“The substation will happen,” she said. “We’ll make it happen. Money’s tight right now, but we’ll figure it out.”
She is also working to get everyone on the force on the same page, she said. The department met earlier this month to hammer out a crime strategy that targets the top crimes and offenders, she said. Together, they will hone in on gang-related and violent crimes.
Councilman Craig Gartman lamented the downtown incidents and said the council should reconsider how its citywide hiring freeze may be hampering police services, but he shied away from ringing the alarm bell.
“I think overall we need to reevaluate our strategy as far as police staffing goes,” Gartman said. “But sometimes these things happen in a group, and all of a sudden it raises awareness, but then nobody pays attention when it goes back down. That’s not newsworthy.”
A late model Black Dodge Charger with a rear spoiler and damage to the left front end was speeding southbound on Monterey Street when it hit the two victims, who had just left a nightclub and were crossing Monterey on foot, police said. The first victim was dragged several feet by the car, police said. He was airlifted to a trauma center and was released later that day, police said.
The driver of the vehicle fled the scene and was last seen traveling westbound on First Street.
Paul Heras, the manager of Wheel Works at 7930 Monterey St., said he often warns customers and employees about the busy intersection of First and Monterey streets.
Although he hadn’t heard about the hit and run, “people are always making really bad traffic decisions there,” he said. “I don’t worry about it too much but I tell people to watch out.”
Anyone with information may call Cpl. Justin Matsuhara at 846-0350 or 846-0330 to remain anonymous.
