Las Cruces Police Investigate Deadly Hit-And-Run

Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who killed a bicyclist in Las Cruces. The crash happened around 11 p.m. Wednesday on South Valley Drive, between Hadley and Amador Avenue.

Las Cruces Police identified the victim as 58-year-old Ricardo Duarte.

None of the businesses in the area were open at the time, but the gruesome scene was still very visible Thursday.

“It’s shocking, real shocking,” Jerry Carrera, who works at Oakwood Homes near where the crash happened, said.

Carrera said, he had chills as he walked past blood-stained pavement on his way to work.

“They found the bicyclist on the ground, bleeding from his head,” Dan Trujillo, Las Cruces Police Department Spokesperson, said.

Police say Duarte was riding his bike southbound along Valley Drive when a white, Chevy Venture minivan struck him. ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom found blood splattered nearly 50-feet.

“And then there’s water here, and blood in the water also, it’s just…wow,” Carrera said.

A chunk of a headlight from the unknown driver is the only evidence left behind. But the ground is littered with crimson droplets – a gruesome reminder of how police say Duarte was struck and left to die.

“It would be very obvious to the driver of that vehicle that he did strike somebody,” Trujillo said. “And that person should have stopped and rendered aid or at least called for help.”

With all the traffic congestion, Carrera said, at night it may be difficult to notice a bicyclist.

“It’s not really totally out of the question because it’s dark here,” Carrera said. “There are some lights but it could happen to anybody at night.”

But police said it is never an excuse to hit someone and take off.

“That’s somebody’s brother, father, something,” Carrera said. “That’s bad, really bad.”

Police said the white 2002 Chevy Venture minivan is believed to have damage to the passenger side front-end and quarter panel, and possible damage to its hood, along with a broken antenna.

Anyone who can identify the minivan or knows anything about the driver, call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send a tip via text message to LCTIPS (528477).