Medford Police Arrested Young Motorist for Hitting Pedestrian & Fleeing Scene
The Medford Police Department arrested a young motorist for hitting a pedestrian in the downtown area and fleeing the scene.
MPD officers responded to a report of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision near the intersection of Riverside Avenue and 9th Street on Wednesday.
Officers determined that a pedestrian was walking in a crosswalk when they were struck by a vehicle driven by a suspect later identified as 18-year-old Shane Gavazza of Medford. They said the driver briefly stopped, but then drove away. The unidentified pedestrian was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The Serious Traffic Accident Response Team was activated to investigate the incident. Within 45 minutes, investigators gathered video surveillance and witness statements, enabling them to issue an alert for the suspect vehicle -- a silver Nissan Xterra with Oregon license plates.
About three hours after the crash, a Jackson County sheriff's deputy located the suspect vehicle in White City. The driver was identified as Gavazza.
Gavazza was located, arrested and lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of Felony Hit-and-Run and Felony 3rd-Degree Assault. There was no evidence of impairment.
Posted on 12/13/24 6:29AM by Sam Marsh
