San Francisco airport worker arrested following San Mateo hit-and-run crash vs. scooter rider

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A worker at San Francisco International Airport was arrested on Sunday following a hit-and-run crash that injured a scooter rider in San Mateo, police said.

The incident happened at about 12:48 p.m. in the area of Monte Diablo Avenue and N. San Mateo Drive in the city’s North Central district. The San Mateo Police Department said in a social media post that officers responded and found a person who had been riding an electric scooter and who had been hit by a vehicle.

The victim, who had not been wearing a helmet, suffered a 4-inch laceration to his head. There was no word on the nature of the victim’s injuries, but a photo from police showed the victim sitting upright on the ground as medics tended to him.

Police said the vehicle did not stop after the collision and left the scene.

Officers obtained a vehicle description and direction of travel from neighborhood security camera footage, according to police. The license plate number was identified, leading to the identity of the registered owner, 60-year-old Foster City resident Oscar Gomez Florez, who was not at home when officers arrived to look for him. Police said automated license plate readers were able to confirm the suspect vehicle was in San Mateo at the time of the collision.

Investigators determined that Gomez Flores was employed at SFO, and a San Mateo police officer located his vehicle in the employee parking lot, police said. Officers located Gomez Flores at his job and arrested him on a charge of felony hit-and-run resulting in injury. He was booked into the San Mateo County Jail.