Driver still being sought in fatal hit-and-run

A GoFundMe account is started for the victim

HAYWARD >> A 55-year-old bicyclist killed by a hitand-run driver last week was described by family and friends as “incredibly smart, friendly and genuine” and as a man who was loved by everyone who knew him.

And while those who knew him still mourn the death of Chris Peña, a Hayward resident, police are continuing the search for the driver who hit him.

Police said the fatal collision happened about 5:36 p.m. Sept. 6 at Mission Boulevard and Orchard Avenue.

Peña was hit by what police believe is a gray, earlyto mid-2000s model Mercedes-Benz with silver colored, five-spoke rims. The car fled the scene at a high rate of speed and likely had major front-end passenger side damage. The driver was believed to be the sole occupant but a detailed description of the person has not been released.

Peña died later in the day at a hospital.

The death is Hayward's seventh fatal traffic collision of the year.

A GoFundMe account for Peña had raised almost $38,000 by Tuesday afternoon. The account's organizer, family friend Derrick Lobo, wrote that Peña is survived by his wife of 23 years, a daughter who turned 21 the day before he was killed, another daughter aged 19 and a son, 16.

The oldest daughter attends UC Berkeley, the youngest UC Davis and the son is a Hayward High School junior, according to Lobo, who wrote that everyone who knew Peña is “devastated from his senseless death.”

The GoFundMe account was organized to help pay for Peña's funeral expenses and also to help with his children's educational needs. To access the fundraiser, go to gofund. me/6b103844.

“I remember how excited Chris was when his girls got into UC Berkeley and UC Davis,” Lobo wrote. “Education was everything to him and I know without a doubt that he would want his kids to finish college and get those degrees.”

The fundraiser already has surpassed its initial goal of $30,000, but it will remain open in order to collect support for Peña's family and to spread the story of his death in the hopes of leading investigators to a suspect.

Anyone with information about the driver or the vehicle or who might have video footage of the collision is asked to call police at 510-293-7169.