Suspect in crash that killed bicyclist in Visalia arrested

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist in Visalia over the weekend has been arrested, the city’s police department said.

Officers say they arrested 33-year-old James Hand in connection with the deadly crash that killed a 53-year-old man riding a bicycle over the weekend.

Police say they responded to a collision on southbound Akers Street, just south of Judy Avenue, on Saturday around 9:45 p.m. after a vehicle struck a man on a bicycle and then fled the scene before the officers arrived. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries the following morning.

On Monday, the police department described the suspect vehicle as a 2018-2020 white Ford F-150 and released images of the vehicle.

After doing that, officers say they received numerous tips that led the police department’s motor unit to Delano, where they located the suspect vehicle. Hand was arrested on Tuesday and taken into custody in Visalia.