San Rafael Man, Possibly Drunk, ‘Stumbled’ into Motorcycle Path in Hit-and-Run Crash

A 34-year-old San Rafael pedestrian was seriously injured Monday evening after a motorcycle struck him in a hit-and-run accident on Miracle Mile, according to San Rafael Police officials. 

The accident, at 6:20 p.m. on Fourth Street at Santa Margarita Drive, sent the man to Marin General Hospital.

Witnesses told officials that the pedestrian was “stumbling around” in the westbound lanes at the 2200 block of Fourth Street, according to San Rafael Police Spokesperson Margo Rohrbacher.

“The pedestrian stumbled into the right of way of the approaching motorcyclist,” she said.

The motorcycle allegedly couldn’t stop and collided with the man before fleeing the scene.

Alcohol is a factor in the collision because the pedestrian displayed “objective symptoms of intoxication,” Rohrbacher said. “A blood alcohol sample has been submitted to the Department of Justice.”

She said the pedestrian was found “most at fault” for the collision for failing to yield to the right of way to oncoming traffic, but the motorcyclist was required to stop at the collision scene.

Police have no description of the motorcycle or rider.

Information about the extent of the pedestrian’s injuries were not immediately available.

San Anselmo resident Jay Cross witnessed the hit-and-run — he had pulled his vehicle over in front of Phyllis’s Giant Burgers to make a phone call and saw the pedestrian crossing the road out of the corner of his eye. 

He said traffic in the left lane had slowed down significantly, but the right lane was moving more quickly. The pedestrian passed through the left lane and into the right lane around the same time the motorcycle switched lanes.

“I could hear the engine stop revving, but [the motorcycle] was going so fast he didn’t have time to do anything,” he said. 

Part of the motorcycle’s windshield hit the pedestrian, causing the man to spin around and “drop like a sack of potatoes,” Cross said.

Cross called 911 while some bystanders moved the unconscious man off the road. 

The motorcycle coasted for 30-50 feet and then “hit the gas and took off” down the hill toward United Market, Cross said. 

The setting sun made the motorcycle appear to be more of a silhouette, Cross said, making it difficult to provide description information to the police.

 Did you witness the accident? Tell us what you saw in the comments.