A late-night collision in downtown Santa Barbara that was initially dispatched as a possible hit-and-run is now being investigated under a different classification, police said Tuesday.
Emergency crews responded at 10:22 p.m. Monday to Vine Avenue and East De la Guerra Street for a report of a female pedestrian down in the roadway after being hit by a vehicle. The same vehicle had allegedly also hit two other parked cars.
Early dispatch information indicated a hit-and-run, but Sergeant Bryan Kerr of the Santa Barbara Police Department said that is no longer how investigators are viewing the case.
“We actually are classifying it as a suspicious circumstances investigation,” Kerr said.
According to Kerr, the call first came in as a hit-and-run, but that characterization shifted once officers assessed the scene.
“It initially went out as a hit-and-run,” he said, “but then when we got there based on witness accounts and what we discovered on scene, it was unclear if that was actually the case.”
Kerr said details remain limited because the circumstances surrounding what happened are still under review.
The female pedestrian was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Police have not released an update on her condition.
No arrests have been announced.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to call SBPD at (805) 897-3719.
