A 69-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run collision early this morning that killed a pedestrian in the 1600 block of El Camino Real in Redwood City, police said.
Vehicle surveillance from businesses near the scene of the fatal crash, which reportedly occurred about 2:24 a.m., reportedly helped police identify the suspect vehicle, a white 2019 Ford van, and Carl Hofstetter as the suspect. Hofstetter was arrested about 12 hours later, after he was spotted driving the van northbound on El Camino Real in San Carlos, police said.
The victim’s identity was not immediately available. Officers responding to the scene early today found the male pedestrian unconscious in the middle of the southbound lanes, with apparent major injuries, police said. The victim died at the scene.
“The witness stated the suspect vehicle was traveling southbound El Camino Real when it struck the pedestrian,” police said. “The van continued southbound, then made a U-turn at Roosevelt Avenue onto northbound El Camino Real and stopped at the scene of the collision. The driver exited the van to examine the damage to the vehicle. After checking his vehicle, the driver re-entered the van and fled the scene traveling northbound.”
According to police, Hofstetter “made admissions as to his involvement in the collision,” and noted the van he was driving “had front end damage indicating it had been involved in a recent collision.” That damage was also consistent with witness statements and what was seen on video surveillance. Hofstetter was booked into San Mateo County Jail for felony hit and run and vehicular homicide charges.
