A bicyclist is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by the driver of a pick-up truck who fled the scene this morning. We just received this press release from the Oakland Police Department:

On February 4, 2009, at
approximately 5:24 AM, Oakland Police officers were dispatched to the 5600 block of San
Pablo Ave to investigate a report of an auto-bicyclist
collision. Upon arrival they discovered that a 23 year old Oakland resident had been struck by a pick-up
truck. The driver of the truck fled the scene without stopping. The victim was
transported to Highland
Hospital where he is in
critical condition with head trauma. The pick-up truck is described as a red Toyota
with wooden panels to extend the height of the bed walls. It should have fresh
damage to the right front bumper and fender. The driver was not described. It is not known if alcohol was a factor in the collision. The victim’s identity is being
withheld pending notification of family members. This incident is still under
investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Michael
Cardoza at (510) 867-7111.

We’ll post more as we get it.