Hit and Run Bicycle Accident In Costa Mesa – March 2018

At approximately 8:20 AM on March 20, 2018, the Costa Mesa, California, police department and the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the intersection of Bristol Street and Red Hill Avenue where a bicyclist had been hit by a black 2012 to 2015 Mercedes Benz SLK300 or SLK350. The driver had not stopped at the scene, and a concerned motorist had called in the incident.

After first responders arrived on the scene, the road was closed for the investigation, and the bicyclist was transported to the hospital. A nearby surveillance tape of the incident was released to the public. Soon, people came forward to report that the diver was 33-year-old Pratiti Renee Mehta. She was apprehended during the evening of March 20, 2018, and charged with felony hit-and-run in the incident that left the bicyclist’s ankle broken. It is believed that Mehta may have been late to work at a new job that she had just started.

Costa Mesa’s police chief praised the public for helping them apprehend Mehta saying it was a great example of the public helping them during an investigation. He says that there were many good people who helped during this unfortunate incident from the man who stopped to call in the incident and render aid at the scene to the public who called in tips allowing Mehta to be arrested. The police chief hopes that the public will continue to help out his officers by calling the cops when they see something happen. He says that it takes everyone working together.