OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) - Family members of a Carlsbad cyclist are making an emotional appeal for tips after he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver last Thursday night.
Around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, along Oceanside Boulevard just west of Interstate 5, Jackson Williams, 27, was on his bike, headed home from his server job in Oceanside when police say he was struck from behind. He suffered head trauma and died at the scene.
Witnesses saw a dark-colored vehicle leaving the area.
“It's heartache,” said stepfather Dean Mausolf.
“It’s devastating. So hard,” said his mother Sabrina Williams. “When I got the call, it was shock. I just hyperventilated … There is a responsibility of what you just did and not to leave someone alone, and that was my baby on the road alone. That part is hard.”
Sabrina calls her son a kind soul known for helping the homeless, whether buying them food or just having a talk.
“He wanted to help the struggling. He wanted people to experience life in a good way,” said Williams. “He was a very free spirit, generous, a loving heart, loved to laugh. He loved to cook and made his own wine. Just lived life.”
Sabrina says Jackson rode his bike everywhere.
“He didn't own a car,” said Mausolf.
When he moved from Phoenix to the San Diego area seven years ago, he made the trip on his bike.
On Thursday, while on a bike, his young life was cut short. His family is now making an appeal for information.
“Please come forward and help us find justice for Jackson. I know it won’t bring him back, but it just feels like it validates his life. Hard to explain,” said Williams.
“He was kind. We just hope other people will honor him in the same way …. and be that way for others. Besides the investigation, it’s about honoring him and remembering him in the best way,” said Mausolf.
Investigators say car parts left at the scene likely point to a black, 2014-to-2016 Nissan Versa Note hatchback.
Anyone with information is asked to call Oceanside Police at 760-435-4651.
In lieu of flowers, Williams' family is asking anyone who would like to remember and honor Jackson to donate to Duwara Consciousness Foundation, a group that advocates for the homeless.
Brandon Ross, a partner at Carte Blanche Bistro, released the following statement:
“Jackson was the type of person everyone loved to be around both in and out of the restaurant. He had a famous saying around that the team knew well - if you asked how he was doing he would smile and respond, 'Tu sabes, tu sabes' (which means 'you know, you know') in his effortless demeanor. Jackson made jokes, didn't take life too seriously, and had a knack for putting a smile on everyone's face. He's missed immensely by all of us here at Carte Blanche.”
