Oxford Police arrested a suspect wanted in a bicycle hit-and-run that left a 22-year-old Miami University student with seemingly broken bones.
Henry Delgado, 32, of Trenton, Oh. is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing in Area 1 court Nov. 2 on charges of failing to stop after an accident on public roads, which is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and aggravated vehicular assault, which is a felony of the fourth degree.
Delgado’s lawyer, Jeffrey Meadows, declined to comment.
According to the Oxford Police, the crash occurred on Sept. 23 around 10 p.m. at the intersection of East High and Bishop street. The lead detective, John Thrasher, found the victim on the ground, conscious and alert but with visible injuries to his arms, legs and face.
Witnesses reported a black car speeding eastbound on East High Street, making a U-turn at Patterson. Then speeding westbound on East High Street, the driver braked, but not quickly enough to avoid rear-ending a Miami student on an electric bicycle heading toward Uptown. The tires created 73 feet of skid marks on the road, which police officials said indicated the high speed of the car.
The student was transported by Oxford EMS to Kettering Health Hospital in Hamilton. He was subsequently released.
Cops found the bumper of the suspect’s vehicle, a Black Toyota MR2 Spyder, on Bonham Road, but still had to locate the rest of the car. The Oxford Police utilized surveillance footage from many uptown businesses and Miami University buildings. Businesses and Miami University offered up the footage when asked, but the cops could have pursued a subpoena if they had not, Jones said.
“Video surveillance helped us a lot, which I think just shows that whenever you leave your house, you may not realize how much you are on video as you go through a community,” he said.
Through the review of the surveillance footage, detectives discovered there were only four cars of the same model and color registered in the county. This led to an address in Trenton.
Jones said they were fortunate the car was rare for the area.
Police obtained a warrant to search Delgado’s house on Sept. 27 and found the vehicle in the garage. They seized the vehicle and electronics that police say confirmed the suspect was driving at the time and place of the incident. Delgado was arrested Oct. 27.
