The Palm Springs Police Department (PSPD) has arrested Cody Hamilton, who was allegedly the driver in a fatal hit-and-run accident last month on East Ramon Road and El Placer in Palm Springs, the department said in an Aug. 24 news release on Facebook.
Hamilton was identified as a result of the department's appeal to the community for assistance, encouraging individuals with information to come forward, the PSPD said, praising the community's response as "remarkable." A tip enabled investigators to determine the vehicle's identity, ultimately resulting in Hamilton's arrest, police said.
Officers responded to the scene of the July 29, 2022, accident, which resulted in the death of a pedestrian. PSPD's Traffic Division managed to retrieve fragments from the crash site, and crucial information was garnered from video surveillance footage, leading to the identification of the suspect vehicle, described as a dark-colored sedan.
The traffic division charged Hamilton with felony hit-and-run involving injury or death and submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office in Indio. The District Attorney's Office approved the recommended charge on July 17, 2023, and an arrest warrant for Hamilton was issued on Aug. 10. The PSPD Traffic Division arrested Hamilton on Aug. 24 in Cathedral City, the police announcement said.
Hamilton was released after posting bail on August 25, 2023, the Riverside Jail Information Management System says. He is set to make a court appearance at the Indio Larson Justice Center on Oct. 10.
"The Palm Springs Police Department would like to extend its sincere appreciation for the outstanding investigative work conducted by the Traffic Division," PSPD said. "Despite initially having only vehicle parts left at the scene of the crash, their efforts, combined with the support of the community, enabled the resolution of this case."