Pedestrian Killed in Hit & Run; Driver Surrenders to Police

An 85-year-old pedestrian was killed Tuesday by a hit-and-run driver as he exited a mobile home park on Euclid Street in Santa Ana, and a suspect later turned himself in, police said.

Michael Truong Pham, 33, was booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, but he could have avoided the charge had he remained at the scene of the collision that killed Rudolph Joseph, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

"Had he stayed at the location, it would have just been a tragic accident," Bertagna said.

Police were called about 5:15 a.m. to the 500 block of South Euclid Street on a report of a man down in the street, Bertagna said.

Pham allegedly drove his Honda Pilot home to Garden Grove and told family members what happened, and they urged him to call police, Bertagna said.

A police officer brought Pham back to the scene of the collision and questioned him, and he was placed under arrest, the corporal said.

Joseph was not in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, Bertagna said.

The victim's son told reporters that he had brought his father to the Southland from out of state earlier this year to keep him safe.