A 38-year-old man is in custody after turning himself into the Santa Ana Police Department for a hit-and-run collision that left a cyclist dead.
The incident occurred on June 19, 2026, at approximately 6:15 p.m.. Multiple callers alerted police to a major collision at the intersection of Standard Avenue and Warner Avenue.
First responders from the Santa Ana Police Department and the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) arrived to find 60-year-old Irvine resident Francois Primeau lying in the roadway with severe injuries.
Emergency personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Primeau was pronounced dead at the scene. The motorist responsible failed to stop and fled immediately following the impact.
The Arrest and Criminal Charges
Detectives from the Collision Investigations Unit spearheaded the search for the driver. Parking Control Officers discovered the suspect’s vehicle abandoned near the intersection of Warner Avenue and Raitt Street during an area canvass. Authorities impounded the vehicle to collect forensic evidence.
On Monday, June 22, 2026, the suspect identified himself to police. Edjan Rocha, a 38-year-old resident of Santa Ana, turned himself in at police headquarters. Rocha was booked into the Santa Ana Jail and faces severe criminal counts, including:
- Vehicular Manslaughter
- Felony Hit-and-Run
Hit-and-Run Realities in Orange County
This fatal incident highlights a persistent traffic safety crisis involving vulnerable road users in Orange County. State and local metrics illustrate the dangers faced by cyclists and the frequency of drivers fleeing crash scenes.
- High Hit-and-Run Volume: Data compiled by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) reveals that Santa Ana averages 174 injury-producing hit-and-run collisions every year.
- Statewide Crisis: California frequently logs the highest total number of hit-and-run fatalities in the United States, outpacing other highly populated states like Texas and Florida.
- Cyclist Vulnerability: Local advocacy groups tracking regional safety note that this tragedy marks the fifth cyclist death in Orange County in 2026, and the third fatal bicycle crash within Santa Ana limits in just a six-week period.
- Safety Standings: Broad regional data indicates that Santa Ana records over 100 annual bicycle-related injuries or deaths, placing it among the bottom half of similarly sized California cities for overall cyclist safety.
The investigation remains active. The Santa Ana Police Department urges anyone with additional details regarding the crash to contact their Traffic Division.