ENCINITAS, Calif. -- A man riding a bicycle in Encinitas was struck and killed early Sunday morning by a hit-and-run driver.
"I could see the bicycle in the street. I could see three bicycle riders," said Leucadia resident Ed McGuire, who heard the sirens from his condominium balcony. "It was just really upsetting, because I knew what probably happened."
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said 47-year-old Jim Swarzman was hit by a blue, late model Ford F150 pickup truck around 1 a.m. on Sunday at the 1200 block of North Coast Highway. He was with several other cyclists when he was struck by the driver.
The injured cyclist was airlifted to Scripps Mercy Hospital but later died from his wounds.
"I went back upstairs because it was too upsetting. I heard the helicopter take off and I prayed," said McGuire.
According to the Sheriff's Department, the driver of the truck that struck Swarzman, never stopped to offer aid. A witness following the truck just before the fatal accident said the truck drifted between lanes before striking Swarzman from behind, officials said.
Swarzman was an Encino resident, but his passion for cycling had taken him to many different locales. In his blog about cycling, he referenced training that would require hundreds of miles of cycling completed in a week.
McGuire said Swarzman's death shows that even the most experienced cyclists need to be on the defensives, especially if they're cycling in the middle of the night.
"That's just really unacceptable and unconscionable. Turn yourself in dude - take responsibility," said McGuire to the unknown driver.
