Victim Identified in Spring Valley Hit and Run

A pedestrian who was struck and killed while walking home from work early Sunday morning in Spring Valley has been identified.

According to the Medical Examiner’s Office, 20 year old Jacob Greenwald was killed at approximately 3:45 a.m. on Campo Road near Cordoba Avenue, where a Toyota 4Runner SUV travelling westbound drove onto the sidewalk and struck him before fleeing the scene. “There was a lot of debris. They hit him pretty hard,” said a witness speaking to reporters. “I couldn’t believe that they would just keep on going. They had to have known that they hit him because that’s all that was out there… was a human being.”

Greenwald, who was walking home from a work shift at a McDonald’s restaurant located near state Route 94 and Avocado Boulevard, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police investigators found the Toyota SUV’s license plate at the crash site, and were able to track down the driver, 33 year old Jason Michael Palmer, a resident of Spring Valley with a lengthy criminal record. The plate and vehicle were registered to a relative of Palmer’s who gave police his contact information. Officers attempted to contact Palmer on his cellphone, who quickly hung up on them.

At 9:30 a.m., the 4Runner was located in the Serra Mesa area near Interstate 805 and Aero Drive. As police were inspecting the vehicle, Palmer was spotted as a passenger in another vehicle slowly passing by the scene. He was apprehended, and the keys to the SUV were found in his front pocket. He was then booked into county jail and charged with felony hit and run and felony manslaughter. Additional charges may soon follow as an investigation into the accident is ongoing, and the influence of drugs or alcohol may have been a factor. Police are seeking surveillance footage of nearby businesses for a clearer picture of the specifics of the ordeal.

Friends and family of Greenwald meanwhile held a vigil Monday night to remember the recent graduate of local Grossmont High School. “He was really sweet and kind,” said friend Karen McCluan. “He did anything if you asked him. He was a sweet guy… I just recently got in contact with him over a month ago again and he was tell me he was working to save for school.”

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, you should seek help. Depending on the circumstances that surround your accident, you may be entitled to compensation from those at fault to help pay for things like hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and more. You could also recover wages lost from time spent away from work, or from a loss of future earning potential.

At AA Accident Attorneys we will work hard to get you everything you need to get back on your feet. We understand your legal rights, and can protect you from insurance companies looking to limit what you receive.

For more information about the kinds of services we can offer, or for a free consultation to discuss your available options, call us today. As always, we will not charge you for any of our legal services until your case is won. If we are unable to collect on your case, then you will not owe us anything. If you’ve been injured in an accident, call us right away.