Using damaged car parts left at the scene, police in Huangpu District have tracked down the alleged driver of an off-road vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident on September 4.
Police said yesterday they have detained the driver, surnamed Zhang, and alleged he confessed to his role in the accident when he was taken in for questioning on September 8.
Police had worked out a list of 266 Isuzu off-road vehicles of different types registered in the city and Zhang's car was the 83rd vehicle they examined.
The driver allegedly told the police he got a bit drunk at a party but insisted on driving himself home a little after 4am.
However, the car bumped into a pedestrian on Zhongshan Road S. after Zhang accelerated the engine to enjoy a moment of speed on the vacant street in the early hours of the day.
Zhang allegedly told police the car had already run across the intersection before he was able to make any response when he noticed a vague figure ahead the car.
The pedestrian, surnamed Ni, died the next day at the hospital while his mother, the only witness to the accident, was too shaken up to be of much help to investigators.
Broken car parts left on the site including one marked "ISUZU" were the only clues.
After visiting different car repair and vehicle accessory stores for advice and making on-site experiments to simulate the accident, police finally decided to focus on light-colored Isuzu off-road vehicles. Police found Zhang's vehicle had damages matching the traces found at the site of the accident.