Disabled Navy Veteran Left to Die by Hit and Run Driver

Navy veteran struck, killed in hit-and-run along East Hammer Lane

Recordnet.com

Joe Goldeen

November 22, 2017

STOCKTON — A 58-year-old disabled Navy veteran was struck and killed Tuesday evening on East Hammer Lane by a motorist who fled the scene without stopping, police and a family member reported.

The man was riding a bicycle and crossing Hammer southbound at Lan Ark Drive about 6:15 p.m. when he was hit by a black vehicle that sped away to the east, according to police. A surveillance photo has been released showing the car that authorities believe is responsible.

Medics were called to the scene and pronounced the victim deceased.

Tina Thayer, who described herself as the victim’s best friend and former common-law wife, identified him as David Allen Wright, a Stockton resident who spent most of his life in Manteca with roots in Indianapolis.

“That’s just who he was. He was a great man who helped everybody. He loved God. He was a Christian man,” Thayer said.

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