A driver accused of seriously injuring a Marietta homeowner and then fleeing the scene has been arrested, police said Thursday.
Investigators credit old-fashioned police work and technology with identifying Santos Rosalio Vicente-Ramos, 22, of Kennesaw, as a suspect. He was arrested late Wednesday on charges of hit-and-run and serious injury by vehicle, both felonies, according to Officer Chuck McPhilamy, Marietta police spokesman.
Vicente-Ramos admitted he’d been drinking alcohol before he hit a man on Wright Street late Saturday, McPhilamy said in an emailed statement.
“Investigators were able to locate Vicente-Ramos using evidence collected at the scene, coupled with the license plate reader camera technology throughout the county,” he said.
A camera in the area captured Vicente-Ramos speeding away from the crash scene in a 2007 Acura, his arrest warrant states.
Officers are unsure what time the crash took place. But neighbors found 53-year-old victim Robert Morrison, and called 911 just after 11 p.m., police previously said. Neighbors said Morrison had been doing yard work and was wearing a reflective vest when he was hit.
Morrison was seriously injured and taken to Wellstar Kennestone hospital for treatment of numerous broken bones, including a broken leg, arm, neck, and ribs, according to police.
On Monday and Tuesday, a team from First Baptist Church of Marietta and neighbors volunteered time completing repairs and yard work at Morrison’s home, located in the city’s historic district.
One of the church members, Paul Hill, said that the “Mission Marietta Week” effort was already on the calendar before Morrison was struck. Another volunteer told Channel 2 Action News the accident made the work more pressing.
“When I pulled up this morning, other neighbors were already cutting the grass and doing a lot of yard work ahead of us,” the volunteer said Monday.
Vicente-Ramos remained Thursday morning in the Cobb County jail, booking records showed. His bond was set at $25,000.
The investigation into the crash continues, according to police.
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