A 15-year-old boy who was walking in a bike lane in Hesperia was fatally struck from behind by a hit-and-run driver who was suspected of being under the influence, authorities said Friday.
The teen was hit about 11:30 a.m. Thursday near Santa Fe Avenue East and Mission Street, according to the Hesperia Police Department.
The boy, identified by the coroner’s office as Moises Chequete of Hesperia, was walking north on the east side of Santa Fe Avenue when he was hit by a blue Chevrolet sedan that continued northbound. A witness followed the car, contacting sheriff’s dispatcher and following until deputies arrived and arrested the driver about 2 miles away.
The driver, identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Harrity, also of Hesperia, was “determined to be under the influence,” a police news release said. It’s not clear what substance investigators think he consumed.
Chequete was transported with major injuries to Desert Valley Hospital, where he died. The teen had been in the designed bike lane and was hit from behind, according to a coroner’s statement.
Harrity was booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter.
Police applauded witnesses for their help in the quick apprehension of the driver.