‘That Would Be Huge’: California Police Needs Our Help Identifying Car Involved In Deadly Hit-And-Run (UPDATED)

Carid Top hit and run
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Now’s the time. All those hours of you obsessive over cars, staring at them, taking pictures of them, dreaming about them — now’s the time to put that to use, because I just got off the phone with Detective Currier of the Capitola Police Department in California, and: He needs our help. Let’s put our heads together and identify this car involved in a hit-and-run.

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Jason Torchinsky

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209 thoughts on “‘That Would Be Huge’: California Police Needs Our Help Identifying Car Involved In Deadly Hit-And-Run (UPDATED)”

  1. Looks a like a newer Chevy Traverse. The wheels look distinctly like the hubcaps some of the LS models came with. These lower spec models never had roof racks. The shark fin antenna fits as well.

    2. I think you might be right. The traverse or LR discovery, both with certain wheels. The lights fit both also.
      I cant guess any closer than that.It’s super hard knowing where to join the two halves as there’s obvious lens distortion happening

  3. Here’s what I’ve gotten to at this point in order of importance to figure out in reverse order: #3. The wheels and both sets of lights and roof rack delete could be aftermarket, so those can be very, well, variable. #2. The antenna is a pretty hard (or stupid) thing to alter so that seems like a decent parameter as a secondary clue. #1. Wheelbase and, if possible to determine, ground clearance/overall height need to be the first thing to pinpoint

    I’m not gonna be the Sheloock here as SUVs are not in my wheelhouse (badumbump) but it would seem that working from 1-3 on my list would be the best way to go about it.

  4. I’m not sure the right-to-left SUV in the Ring camera video at 0:18 is the same.

    The Ring video suggests a mostly “racetrack” rounded rectangle taillight as it drives away. The license plate lighting is similar to the taillights, but could easily be aftermarket.

    Another thing to note in the Ring video is the low position of the rear reflectors, down in the bumper.

    These details aren’t an exact match, but are overall very much like a 2017-2019 GMC Acadia. The shark fin location also matches. The racetrack doesn’t appear to be as completely closed as those on the Ring video, and earlier and later versions of the Acadia have entirely differently shaped taillights.

  5. It might be an artifact of the Ring camera, but it seems like the black car in question does not make the same shrill Doppler effect noises as the other cars do as they pass. Could it be electric?

    1. I think that may be largely a result of the closer car passing from the other side at the same time. I hate Ring’s audio distortion.

      It seems to me like it matches the other car that goes that direction (both are quieter than the nearer lane vehicles), but gets lost in the audio of the nearer car briefly.

  6. My guess would be a Toyota Highlander. I think the double tail lights is actually the right indicator light as well as a brake light activation. There is a possible indicator showing in the location of a side mirror. The long shape of the front lights would also point to an indicator along with the headlights. Have a look at this image:

    https://www.chicagotoyota.com/used/Toyota/2023-Toyota-Highlander-chicago-il-24cca8d00a0e0a931dba26b95c445a8b.htm

  7. Even without a complete picture, we should be able to figure out some of the demisions of this car. For instance, in the picture of the back half, the rear overhang is considerable. Let’s make a reasonable assumption that those are roughly 18-19 inch rims. Using that as a measuring stick, can someone approximate the length of the rear overhang (I’m on my mobile at the moment)?

  8. Another vote for a Landrover Disco, circa 2017-2018. I’m not seeing the Escape, this vehicle is too big to be a compact SUV. Genesis GV-something also seems reasonable but I’ve never paid much attention to those…

    1. In the pic it almost looks like dark/black with a white roof. You could get a LR Evoque in that combo, but the tail lights look more LR Disco. Maybe the Evoque also had those lights in some years?

  9. This community is amazing. The woman killed is my good friends mother in law. The family is distraught and any help is greatly appreciated. She was about the nicest woman you would ever hope to meet and this all is just unimaginable.
    Love this group.

  10. Oh how I wish there was a video from the other side of the road. I could make out the CR-V plain as day traveling in the opposite direction, but the subject car is too far away and too distorted no matter how many times I pause the video. It also doesn’t help that the oncoming vehicle obscures it with its headlights.

    My only thought at the moment is the wheels make it appear to be a vehicle on the lower end of that model’s lineup as they’re kinda generic.

  13. I don’t think it’s a Mercedes or Highlander, it’s too small. Watch the ring doorbell video and you get the scale of the car compared to others. It looks like a smaller CUV. Let’s break down 3 key items here. 1 taillights – looks like a 2020ish Land Rover Discovery Sport. They have a split tail lights just like the one in the image. 2 – Headlights – the headlights have a kink at the top, just like a Land Rover Discovery sport. It also has day running lights which form a second row on the bottom. 3 – wheels – 5 grouped/ split spokes. The Discovery once again has these as an option. And the shark fin is also present on the discovery sport. Also let’s look at the low mounted reflectors – they too match.

  14. Here’s another wrench to throw in the works: I don’t think the car in the video and the car in the stills are the same car. Video car’s taillights are FCA, probably 2015ish Jeep Cherokee. Still photo car isn’t that at all, and it’s bigger.

    1. I was going to say the same thing: in the video, the vehicle at the 18-second mark moving right to left looks to be approximately the same wheelbase, or shorter, as the car that crosses in front of it. Looks surprisingly stocky. Not the same as the still photos…

  15. The only thing I can’t place is the sharkfin antenna, but I think the rest of the evidence looks pretty good for it to be a post 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (because of the 2 red bar tail lights) which was available (I think) with factory 5 spokes with a cut out in the spoke

    1. Seems like these lights wrap too far around the side for that, but edge cases (pun mostly unintended) are a good thought. We may be getting too focused on finding the right taillight without considering disrepair or the like.

  24. User 0l0id beat me to the punch earlier, but I really, really think this is an Isuzu Axiom. The antenna position, tail and head lamps, roofline, and wheel shape are a dead ringer. If you’re going to commit a crime, you couldn’t choose a more anonymous/obscure vehicle.

    1. I think 2015-era Ford Escape is a better guess. Take a look at the hood. There are a few character lines running down the hood from windshield to grille An Isuzu Axiom only has one line per side, and it peters out as you go from the windshield to the grille. The hit and run vehicle looks like it has several well-defined hood lines at the grille end of the hood.

      That said, I appreciate you for reminding me that the Isuzu Axiom exists. I have a special affinity for dead (in the US) brands, and I’ve seen more Vehicrosses than Axioms in the last few years.

    1. I’m thinking GV80. The two thin taillights match, there is a reflector down low that wraps around to the side as can be seen in the video, and most pics of the GV80 show it with five spoke wheels that seem to match. The shark fin is in the right spot (but it is a common spot to put them) and cut line on the roof behind the fin looks to match.

      We can only link to pics, not include them in the comments.
      https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a31248908/2021-genesis-gv80-price/

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