The town of Tulare, 44 miles from Fresno, California, is about to get justice for the man who died in a hit-and-run accident last year. On Wednesday, February 26th, the police arrested the suspected driver, whom they identified as Jose Rodriguez, 28.

According to the police report, the suspect on Saturday, January 21st, 2019, hit and killed Timothy Shields, 30, in a vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident. The collision happened in the area of Avenue 288 and Road 156.

Shields was walking near the Tulare County canal in the evening of that unfortunate day when Rodriquez struck him down. He died from the injuries he sustained from the hit without making it to the hospital.

The suspect fled the scene, and the police have been searching for him since then. They tracked Rodriguez down through his car, the Buick LeSabre he was driving when he hit the deceased.

The police booked the young man into Tulare County jail, and he is facing multiple criminal charges. The state of California treats a hit-and-run as a wobbler, meaning a suspect can either face a misdemeanor charge or a felony.

A person gets charged with the latter when an injury or death occurs. Also, a person might face a felony charge even though he or she did not cause the accident if he or she flees the scene of the crash.

A felony conviction means four years in state prison and a $10 000 fine. It also comes with suspension of driving privileges, and two points in the offender’s driving record.

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