Dayton police detectives have found the Cadillac Escalade suspected in the hit-skip crash that killed a 14-year-old boy last month, the Dayton Police Department announced on Wednesday, November 4. Police said the investigation remains active, and no driver has been publicly identified in connection with the vehicle.
The crash happened at around 7 p.m. on Monday, October 19, near the intersection of Lori Sue Avenue and Sundale Avenue in Dayton. According to police, Justin Stansberry, 14, was riding an electric dirt bike on Sundale Avenue when the Escalade failed to yield and hit him, the Dayton Daily News reported.
Bystanders called 911 and performed CPR until medics arrived, Dayton Police Department Traffic Services Unit Supervisor Gordon Cairns told the Dayton Daily News. Medics transported Stansberry to Miami Valley Hospital, where he died from his injuries, according to police. The SUV fled the scene after the collision.
Police had previously asked for the public’s help locating the Cadillac. Cairns told the Dayton Daily News there was no footage from the crash itself, but residents nearby provided video to police. He also told the Dayton Daily News investigators have a description of the driver, but he declined to release it.
Cairns told the Dayton Daily News the electric dirt bike Stansberry was riding was a low-power micromobility device with a maximum speed of about 20 mph. He also told the Dayton Daily News there was no indication Stansberry was operating the bike in an unsafe manner at the time of the crash.
Finding the suspected vehicle is a significant step in a case that has been open for more than two weeks, but police have not announced an arrest or named a suspect. Detectives are continuing to investigate, and police have not said where the Escalade was found or what evidence, if any, was recovered from it.
Once the investigation is complete, the case will be sent to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges, according to police as reported by the Dayton Daily News. That review will be the next concrete step in the case, and it will determine whether criminal charges are filed in Stansberry’s death.
Photo: Raymond Wambsgans, CC BY-SA 2.0