SACRAMENTO, Calif. (PSN) — Sacramento police have arrested a suspect less than 24 hours after a fatal hit-and-run collision that claimed the life of a 9-year-old girl and seriously injured an adult male in South Sacramento.
The collision occurred just before 8 p.m. Thursday near 36th Street and 19th Avenue.
According to the Sacramento Police Department, patrol officers responded to reports of a vehicle-versus-mini-motorcycle collision and located an adult male and a 9-year-old female suffering from injuries consistent with a traffic collision.
Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The child later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The adult male sustained serious injuries and survived. “...sadly, they are father/daughter,” Officer Anthony Gamble confirmed this evening in an online chat with local media outlets.
Police said the driver fled the scene before officers arrived.
Due to the fatal nature of the collision, detectives from the Sacramento Police Department's Major Collision Investigation Unit (MCIU) and Crime Scene Investigators responded to take over the investigation. Investigators processed the scene, canvassed the neighborhood and interviewed witnesses throughout the night.
On Friday evening, Sacramento police announced the arrest of a suspect in the case.
According to the department, investigators identified and arrested 30-year-old Miracle Merritt of Sacramento on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
Police credited the arrest to the coordinated efforts of patrol officers, crime scene investigators and collision detectives, including an approximately four-hour neighborhood canvass conducted following the crash.
"This arrest, made less than 24 hours after the incident, is the result of the coordinated efforts of responding officers, crime scene investigators who processed the scene, and detectives who worked tirelessly," the department said in a statement.
The circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation.
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office will release the identity of the deceased child after next-of-kin notifications have been completed.
Anyone with information related to the investigation is encouraged to contact the Sacramento Police Department dispatch center at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the P3 Tips mobile application.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
