Shoplifter fatally struck by car while fleeing Apple Valley store, SBSD says

An alleged shoplifter died after they were struck by a vehicle in Apple Valley Saturday night.

The woman, whose identity and age have not been released, was “running southbound on Bear Valley Road, in the roadway, across all lanes of travel” when she was hit by a red Mazda 6 near Savage Lane a few minutes before 7 p.m., the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

That Mazda, driven by a 20-year-old woman from Apple Valley, hit the pedestrian head-on, causing major injuries, authorities said.

“The pedestrian also was reported to have been caught shoplifting from Tractor Supply just prior to the crash and fled the location on foot after the stolen property was recovered by the store,” the release said.

The alleged shoplifter was taken to a local hospital by ambulance, then a trauma center by helicopter before being pronounced dead.

The Mazda driver was uninjured and is cooperating with the investigation.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Deputy S. Esparza at 760-240-7400 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at 760-956-5001.

To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 1-800-78CRIME (27463) or visit wetip.com.