Photo: Luis Alberto Ledesma
Santa Barbara County – On the night of November 24th, a pedestrian crossing a lightly-traveled roadway was struck by a speeding vehicle which promptly sped off into the distance. A 911 call reported the collision and emergency teams were quickly dispatched to the intersection of Avenue of the Flags and Highway 246.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, the victim was found “with serious injuries.”
Deputies learned that the 40-year-old male victim had been walking across the roadway when he was struck by a “gray Chevrolet Silverado” pickup truck which summarily “left the scene.”
Deputies at the scene were soon informed that another driver who witnessed the incident pursued the Silverado down U.S. 101 to the Lompoc area and had provided Sheriff’s Dispatch with “a vehicle description and license plate number” before losing sight of the pickup truck as it approached the City of Lompoc.
While the victim—reportedly suffering “critical head injuries”—was airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, SBSD deputies attached to the Santa Maria Valley substation traced the registered owner of the pickup truck to a Santa Maria residence. Within two hours, deputies were “staged” at the residence and made contact with 26-year-old Santa Maria resident Luis Alberto Ledesma.
Following a brief interview, Ledesma was in handcuffs and on his way to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges of felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence, with his bail set at $100,000.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
