Police said the victim pursued a pickup after an earlier collision and was killed while trying to stop the fleeing vehicle.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — A 32-year-old Redwood City man surrendered to police one day after investigators said he drove away from a minor collision and fatally struck a passenger who ran after his pickup truck.
Lazaro Gregorio Chacajlux was booked into the San Mateo County Maguire Correctional Facility on suspicion of felony hit-and-run resulting in death and gross vehicular manslaughter, according to Redwood City police. Authorities said the case remained under investigation, and the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office was expected to determine which formal charges, if any, should be filed.
The fatal sequence began shortly before 7:41 p.m. July 14 near Hudson Street and Woodside Road. Police said a white Ford pickup leaving a driveway near a gas station sideswiped a Jeep traveling south on Hudson Street. The driver of the Jeep pulled over after the collision to exchange information, but the pickup continued west on Woodside Road without stopping, investigators said.
A 36-year-old passenger in the Jeep got out and followed the pickup on foot, police said. He caught up with the truck when it slowed in traffic in the 800 block of Woodside Road and grabbed onto the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. Police said the pickup accelerated while the man was still holding on.
The man fell from the truck and was struck by it, according to police. Firefighters and medical personnel were already trying to save him when officers arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Friends and a complaint filed through the district attorney’s office identified him as Arturo Cervantes Romero.
The pickup continued away from the scene after the fatal collision, police said. Detectives collected surveillance video, interviewed witnesses and followed leads in the surrounding area. A police drone later found the unoccupied Ford abandoned a short distance away. Officers seized the truck as evidence.
Chacajlux surrendered to investigators July 15 and was taken into custody. His booking reflected allegations rather than findings of guilt, and the exact charges to be pursued in court had not been publicly confirmed in the available official reporting.
The initial contact between the two vehicles, the pickup’s movements after the sideswipe and the fatal encounter on Woodside Road are part of the continuing investigation. Police have not announced whether speed, alcohol, drugs or another factor contributed to either collision.
Investigators asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Redwood City Police Department. The district attorney’s review will determine the next legal steps as detectives continue examining witness accounts, video and evidence recovered from the pickup.
Author note: Last updated July 20, 2026.