Man Faces Hit-Run Count After Cyclist Injured
A Costa Mesa man was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of felony drunk driving and hit-and-run after an accident in which a bicycle rider was injured, authorities said.
The bicyclist, 20-year-old Steve Labus, was taken to the Fountain Valley Regional Trauma Center for injuries that police said did not appear to be major.
Witnesses said that about 1:10 a.m. Monday, a driver in a van veered to the right while driving north on Placentia Avenue and struck a utility pole near Hamilton Street. The van careened off the pole and hit the bicycle rider, police said.
Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Dave Walker said witnesses claimed that the driver was aware that he had injured the bike rider.
“Witnesses say he backed up after hitting the fellow, stopped a second, then drove around him and took off,” Walker said.
Some witnesses, however, were able to give police a good description of the van, which was found a short time later in the 2100 block of Wallace Street. Arrested was Ronald D. Connely, 33, of Costa Mesa.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
