Woman Killed, Teen Girl Injured In Montclair Hit-And-Run
MONTCLAIR (CBSLA.com) — A woman was killed and a girl was injured Monday morning in a hit-and-run accident in San Bernardino County.
The crash took place around 8 a.m. on Mills Avenue at the 10 Freeway overpass, authorities said.
A 14-year-old girl, identified by witnesses as Melissa Torres, was walking to school and an unidentified woman was walking in a bike lane when they were struck by a car.
Torres was walking with her cousin, Denise Silva, when she was struck in their driveway.
"There was another lady and I just saw her fly," Silva said. "And I saw my cousin kinda fall. And then I ran towards her."
The adult victim was killed in the collision. Torres was taken to Loma Linda Medical Center and is expected to survive.
The two victims were not related, according to police.
The driver, a man in his 20s, fled the scene in a gold-colored sedan, but was chased down by a witness.
A woman asked the driver to return to the scene, but he refused, Silva said.
The witness told the suspect, "he had to come back because he hit a girl and another woman, and he said 'no, I only hit two trash cans,'" Silva said.
Police said the suspect got out of his car to look at the damage before taking off.
"The suspect did not stop, kept in going," Montclair Police Lieutenant Brandon Kumanski said. "After checking the damage to his vehicle, he continued his flight."
Police tracked down the car in Rancho Cucamonga Monday afternoon and arrested Nicholas Tortoro, 25. He is in custody on multiple charges, including felony hit and run, vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs, Montclair police said.
