Friends remembered Arturo Cervantes Romero while police investigated the deadly aftermath of a sideswipe near Woodside Road.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Flowers and tributes gathered along Woodside Road as friends mourned 36-year-old Arturo Cervantes Romero, who authorities said was killed after pursuing a pickup driver accused of leaving an earlier collision.
Romero had been riding in a Jeep driven by his wife on the evening of July 14 when a white Ford pickup sideswiped their vehicle near Hudson Street and Woodside Road, according to police. His wife pulled over to exchange information, but investigators said the pickup driver did not stop. The encounter soon developed into a fatal incident several blocks into the evening traffic.
Police said Romero left the Jeep and followed the Ford on foot. He caught up to the pickup when it slowed in traffic in the 800 block of Woodside Road and grabbed onto it in an effort to stop the driver. The truck accelerated while Romero was still holding on, causing him to fall before the vehicle struck him, investigators said.
Emergency responders tried to save Romero near Woodside Road and Gordon Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police initially described him publicly only as a 36-year-old Redwood City man, while friends later identified him by name. A complaint filed through the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office also identified the victim as Arturo Cervantes Romero.
At a memorial placed in the center median, friend George Marquez described Romero as a humble person and expressed sadness over his sudden death. The tribute marked the location where an everyday drive with his wife ended in a fatal confrontation that remained under police and prosecutorial review.
Investigators identified the pickup driver as Lazaro Gregorio Chacajlux, 32, of Redwood City. Police said he left the area after Romero was struck. Detectives interviewed witnesses, obtained surveillance footage and used a drone to locate the abandoned pickup nearby. The Ford was seized for examination as evidence.
Chacajlux surrendered to investigators the following day. He was booked into the San Mateo County Maguire Correctional Facility on suspicion of felony hit-and-run resulting in death and gross vehicular manslaughter. The allegations had not been proven in court, and authorities had not publicly announced a final charging decision in the available official reports.
Police have not released findings about why the pickup left the first collision or what the driver knew during the encounter with Romero. Authorities also have not announced whether impairment, excessive speed or another contributing factor was found. Those questions remain part of the investigation.
The case now moves through two tracks: detectives are continuing to reconstruct the events on Hudson Street and Woodside Road, while county prosecutors review the evidence and decide which criminal counts are supported. Romero’s memorial remains a public sign of the loss behind that legal process.
Author note: Last updated July 20, 2026.