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64 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, June 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 19, 2004 Police arrest man in hit-and-run case Medford suspect faces charge in accident that left a 6-year-old in critical condition By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Medford police on Friday arrested a man suspected of driving the car that struck a 6-year-old girl Thursday afternoon on Austin Street, and then sped away from the scene. Michael Ryan Rikard, 21, of the 700 block of Rocky Road Drive in Medford faces a single charge of felony hit-and-run driving. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail,where he was being held late Friday on $5,000 bail. Police believe Rikard was driving a Volkswagen New Beetle along Austin Street at a high rate of speed when the girl was struck at about 3:45 p.m. Thursday. The girl apparently ran out in front of the Beetle after getting ice cream from a truck that had stopped near 527 Austin St., Sgt. Tim Doney said. The impact threw the girl into a pair of parked vehicles. She was in and out of consciousness when police arrived, Doney said. Witnesses reported seeing the driver of the Beetle accelerate and leave the scene after the girl was hit. The girl was initially transported by ambulance to Rogue Valley Medical Center, but later airlifted to a Sacramento-area hospital where she was listed Friday in critical condition. Doney said the girl, a Northern California resident, suffered major head injuries in the accident. Advertisement The girl’s seventh birthday is later this month, Sgt. Bob Hansen said. Police arrested Rikard at about 11 a.m. Friday at his east Medford home, officer Mark Boone said. Late Thursday night, officer Tom Ianieri was patrolling the same area when he located a silver New Beetle parked on Skeeters Lane, around the corner from Rikard’s home. Ianieri said he noticed the car had a circular-shaped dent in the hood but no other front-end damage. Ianieri spoke with the car’s owner, who said Rikard and at least one other person had driven the Beetle earlier that day. "He said he didn’t know what had happened" to the car, Ianieri said. The vehicle was impounded. Ianieri said police worked all night and into Friday morning tracking down "associates" of Rikard before obtaining enough information to make the arrest. Witnesses told police they believed the driver of the Beetle had blond hair. A jail mug shot shows Rikard has dark hair. Boone said police believe they have the right man, and that witness accounts are not always accurate when recalling "traumatic situations." During a news conference held by Medford police less than an hour after Rikard’s arrest, Hansen urged parents to educate their children about safety on the streets. "Streets are made for vehicles, not for playing in," Hansen said. "Talk to your kids about crossing streets." Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times