Child killed in hit-and-run crash on El Camino Real in Atascadero; no arrests yet
A child walking home from school in Atascadero was hit and killed by a pickup truck, which then fled the scene, according to the Atascadero Police Department.
The boy was on the sidewalk of El Camino Real across from La Costa Lane when a gray Dodge pickup swerved onto the sidewalk, struck the child, then drove off, Atascadero Cmdr. Robert Molle said.
No arrests have been made yet, according to Atascadero spokesperson Terri Banish.
Later, videos posted on the Everything Atascadero Facebook page by user Lara Alexandra Deleon showed a charcoal-colored pickup being towed away from the Hidden Oaks Village apartment complex nearby, escorted by police.
“Looks like they found the truck in my apartment complex,” she wrote. “Looks like a Ford, but it does have tinted windows and a broken light.”
On Saturday, police confirmed the the vehicle, identified as a 2003 Ford F-150, was suspected to have been the one involved in the crash. Police said it had been abandoned behind an apartment building a few blocks away from the crash site.
Banish told The Tribune on Friday night that police have not yet made any arrests related to the incident.
She said the case was still under investigation and the city would send a news release on Saturday.
Tom Butler, superintendent of Atascadero School District, said the boy was a student at Atascadero Middle School. Butler sent out a letter about the death to parents, guardians and staff on Friday evening.
“This is a heartbreaking loss for the entire school community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” he wrote.
Butler said the district would have support resources available at all of its school sites on Monday.
Boy died at scene of the crash
Police received a call about the crash at 2:54 p.m.
The boy died of his injuries before police arrived on the scene, Molle said.
Bystanders said he was walking home from Atascadero Middle School when he was hit.
As of 4 p.m., El Camino Real was closed from Calle Cynthia to San Diego Way as police responded to the crash.
His parents were on the scene, too.
Bystanders told The Tribune that the boy was walking home from school with a girl, who witnessed the crash and called her mother. Her mother then called the police.
Atascadero resident Linda Gutierrez said she overheard the crash on the police scanner and headed to the scene to see what happened.
She works as a yard duty at a nearby elementary school, and she said the school bus drops students off at nearby Paloma Creek Park.
“I’m sure the student was walking home off of the school bus,” she said. “I love these kids and it breaks my heart.”
Anyone with information on the crash should call the Police Department at 805-461-5051. Police said anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has security camera footage or photographs of the truck should contact the detective bureau at 805-470-3252.
For anonymous tips, call San Luis Obispo Crime Stoppers at 805-549-STOP.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 4:23 PM.
