Vacaville Man Arrested For Hit-And-Run Of Cyclist

The California Highway Patrol on Sunday arrested a man in connection with a hit-and-run crash a day earlier that seriously injured a bicyclist in unincorporated Solano County west of Vacaville.

Emilio Rodriguez, 57, of Vacaville, was arrested after the female bicyclist’s friend saw the Toyota Tacoma truck allegedly involved in the collision. The truck was in the mobile home park where both the friend and the fleeing driver lived, CHP Officer Chris Parker said.

Cynthia Pouncey, 44, and Robert Maschal, 54, both of Vacaville, were riding their bikes north on Pleasants Valley Road near Whedbee Drive around 11:50 a.m. Saturday, Parker said.

Rodriguez was allegedly speeding south in the northbound lane in order to pass a southbound Honda van, Parker said. Pouncey did not notice Maschal slow down ahead of her as the Toyota approached them in the northbound lane.

She ran into the back of Maschal’s bike, fell onto the northbound lane and was struck by the southbound Toyota, Parker said. Rodriguez stopped on the right shoulder of the road and got out of the Toyota, then got back into the truck and fled the scene on westbound Cherry Glen Road, according to Parker.

Pouncey suffered major blunt force trauma and was taken to Kaiser Vacaville Medical Center, Parker said.

Pouncey’s friend posted a local newspaper’s account of the hit-and-run crash on a social media site before spotting the Toyota truck in the mobile home park, Parker said. The friend then called the CHP.

CHP officers found damage on the Toyota and arrested Rodriguez on suspicion of hit-and-run.

Rodriguez was booked into Solano County Jail.

--Bay City News