Family appeals for help in finding hit and run driver

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Updated: 2/18 12:13 pm
The family of a young Bakersfield man is pleading for help in finding the driver who struck and killed him last weekend, then took off.

"I'm very angry. I'm hurt because if that were their kid, how can they just leave him in the street like that? And, they need to come up because I know it has to be eating them alive because I know it would me," said Alice Miller.

Miller's son, 21-year-old Anthony Saldana, was hit just before ten Sunday night while riding his skateboard on Niles street near Valencia Drive.

The CHP says the driver of the truck who hit him, took off.

Saldana's parents say their son was a caring man who loved his family, friends, and skateboarding.

"He loved skateboarding, he loved skateboarding. He was a great kid, real handsome and outgoing," said Matthew Saldana, Anthony's father.

"That day he went out and bought me a candy bar. He went to three stores just to find a candy bar that I liked, particular candy bar, a Rocky Road candy bar. I love it," said Miller.

The CHP is looking for a 2004-2012 model year Chevrolet Colorado.
 
If you have any information, call the Bakersfield CHP office at 864-4444.

Two car washes will be held this weekend to help with funeral expenses.

The first is Saturday from 10am-4pm at the Honeybaked Ham store on Ming Avenue.

And on Sunday at Brookside Deli on Hageman and Coffee Road.
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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KGET TV 17 - In the Spirit of the Golden Empire

Anonymous - 2/18/2013 7:53 AM
0 Votes
FORGET CAR WASHES & GO LOOK FOR WHO HIT HIM!

dnichole91 - 2/17/2013 11:09 PM
0 Votes
You all are crazy...besides being judgmental & racist.

Anonymous - 2/17/2013 10:21 AM
1 Vote
LOVER YOU ARE WAY OFF ON COST OF FUNERAL. wE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF ALL OUR COSTS FOR BOTH HUSBAND & MYSELF. mUCH MORE THE $10,00 EACH. pEOPLE NEED TO PLAN AHEAD EVEN FOR CHILDREN AT HOME. bURILY INSURANCE ISN'T ALL THAT HIGH. i WOULD NEVER WANT ONE OF MY LOVE ONES DISRESPECTED BY A CAR WASH FUNREAL

jign4bass - 2/17/2013 6:26 AM
5 Votes
Lover-if you cannot take care of your obligations (mortgage, car payments, etc.) to take care of paying for a funeral maybe you should think about downsizing a bit. If your "very nice home" and car "payments" are your priority, fine. However a responsible person would identify this and perhaps cut back a bit and spend a few dollars a month to pay for life insurance for themselves and their loved ones. If your mortgage on your "very nice home" and car "payments" are more important to you then don't one word applies IRRESPONSIBLE. .

DR999 - 2/17/2013 12:00 AM
2 Votes
lover, quit being a drama queen! You say that it will never be known if Anthony could have been saved if the person who hit him would have stopped and helped him. Have you ever heard of an autopsy? Maybe Anthony died on impact. Maybe his injuries would have caused his death within minutes, regardless of what medical care he would have received. It might be a murder in your eyes, but the law does not see it that way, assuming it was only an accident, and assuming the driver wasn't DUI and didn't have any DUI priors.

Loveroflife - 2/16/2013 11:15 PM
0 Votes
Also I would like to point out that it isn't about whos fault the accident was, it is about being a cowardly jackass and leaving the scene. We will never know if Anthony could have been saved if this person would have stopped and helped him. He or she turned an accident into a murder in my eyes.

Loveroflife - 2/16/2013 11:04 PM
0 Votes
You guys really? We are going to debate car wash locations? Life insurance? Find something else to do with your spare time. This was a wonderful young man, whom I was honored to know. He was a great fiend to my daughter for many years. He looked out for her like a little sister. Although she has some physical limitations he taught her to ride a skateboard, and even do a few tricks. I used to take these kids to the skate park a couple times a week, He would always bring me a pepsi and give me a big hug and tell me to stay and he would teach me how to ride too! It has nothing to do with what side of town he was on or if finding the person who hit him would bring him back. It is about finding this person before they hit another person and leave them to die in the street. Begging on thier own side of town? Really??? I think you should know that these places usually offer their lots for use. I have seen car washes on every side of town for every race, every age and every type of death. The average funeral cost $6,000 to $10,000. We are an upper middle class family that owns a very nice home less then 3 miles from the spot where this took place. Heaven forbid something happened to one of our girls, between mortgage, car payments, college tuiton, medical expences, utilties, ect.. we would need help as well. You people need to buy, steal or borrow a life.

Anonymous - 2/16/2013 5:52 PM
3 Votes
sorry hankbubba I still agree with Oldfart & SCAT. most of those car washes are not needed. There is a car wash on corner of White lane & new stine every weekend. Yes the girls are wearing too short short shorts & barely there tank top's. That is not dresiing trenty!Lot of the car washes are not for someone who has died tho thats what thier card board signs say. I would never have them wash my car. Before you jump I'm not a man I'm a women.

Oldfart - 2/16/2013 5:46 PM
4 Votes
Being respectful and being sluts out in public are not the same hankbubba! As for planning on dying thats where life insurance comes into place, my dad took out life insurance on me when I was born over 60 years ago as I did on my children when they were born!It's also a good savings plan for them! Also these people like I said should beg on their own side of town!

hankbubba - 2/16/2013 3:17 PM
1 Vote
SACT & Oldfart: Many areas of town have car washes, despite the ethnic group. Norris rd in Oildale has many roadside memorials. Rosedale hwy also has roadside memorials. East Niles has them as well. I have seen car washes in Oildale for white victims. It maybe tied to poverty or the fact that those people were young and did not plan on dying. As far as half naked, I assume you are aroused by seeing young women working a memorial car wash. Younger people tend to dress in trendy clothes. So that may explain it. Summer time may explain t-shirts and shorts. The bottom line is you are trying to get a racist jab when there is really no room for one. Not when someone's family member has passed in such a manner.
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