A 53-year-old bicyclist killed in a hit-and-run crash in Santa Clarita has been identified as a beloved teacher at Arroyo Seco Junior High.
Roderick T. Bennett, of Valencia, was a math teacher at the school and had recently stepped in to teach music, said Dave Caldwell, a spokesman for the William S. Hart Union High School District.
Caldwell added that students were having a hard time with the news of Bennett’s death on Thursday and counselors were at the school to help.
The crash occurred Wednesday around 4:40 p.m. in the area of Placerita Canyon Road and Sierra Highway, according to Lt. Rob Hahnlein with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Santa Clarita station.
The suspect car was described as a 2011 to 2015 Lexus, possibly CT200H dark gray with right front damage and a cracked windshield.
Anyone who sees the vehicle can call 911 or the California Highway Patrol Newhall office at 661-294-5540.