Placer County CEO acknowledges he was driving vehicle that fatally struck teen in Rocklin
Placer County CEO Todd Leopold on Friday publicly admitted that he was driving the vehicle that fatally struck Anthony Williams, an 18-year-old Inderkum High School student who was walking on a street in Rocklin nearly two months ago.
Leopold and Placer County officials had declined to respond to allegations from a community advocacy group that identified him as the driver in the March 19 vehicle and pedestrian collision.
His public admission, issued in a written statement Friday afternoon, comes two days after the Rocklin Police Department announced it had completed its investigation and determined the driver in the collision was not at fault.
“With profound sadness, I can now publicly acknowledge that I was the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident that resulted in the death of Anthony Williams on March 19, 2022,” Leopold said. “My words and emotions cannot adequately express my profound grief and sadness. I am heartbroken for the loss of this young man and extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Williams’ family, friends, and all of those impacted by this tragic accident.”
Williams, a senior and basketball player at Inderkum High, was struck by the vehicle about 8:30 p.m. March 19 in the 6600 block of Lonetree Boulevard near the Blue Oaks Town Center shopping area.
Rocklin police officials have said the teen, later identified as Williams, was “walking in the roadway” when he was struck by the vehicle and later died at a hospital. Police also said the driver involved in fatal collision cooperated with the investigation. The Police Department has not released any other details about the collision.
Since the March 19 incident, The Sacramento Bee has made multiple attempts to obtain a copy of the police report of the collision. The Police Department has refused to release the name of the driver.
The department announced on Wednesday the police report was completed. Since police investigators were not seeking criminal charges, Rocklin police said only persons connected to the incident may obtain a copy of the accident report under the vehicle code, barring members of the public from requesting it.
“Now that the Rocklin Police Department has completed the investigation, I acknowledge the great suffering of Mr. Williams’ family, friends and all who have been impacted by the accident. My thoughts and prayers are with them,” Leopold said in his statement.
Days after Williams’ death, The Bee also approached the Placer County CEO’s Office and asked Leopold to speak about the incident in which he was allegedly behind the wheel. A county spokeswoman said she could not confirm or deny the allegations against Leopold and referred questions to the Police Department.
“Many individuals have questioned why I didn’t provide an official response to media requests for identification of the driver,” Leopold said in his statement. “Unfortunately, I could not comment on the pending investigation and certainly did not want to be perceived, in any way, as attempting to influence the outcome of the Rocklin Police Department’s investigation. At all times, I balance my respect for the investigative process while also providing transparency to you, our valued staff, as well as to our valued public.”
The Placer County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday addressed the allegation that Leopold was involved in the accident with a written statement that did not name him. The accident did not come up during the board’s meeting Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors on Thursday released another written statement about the fatal collision.
“While the City of Rocklin investigation has been completed and released, Placer County has not reviewed a copy of the investigative report, and therefore, cannot comment further at this time,” according to the board’s statement. “The Placer County Board of Supervisors again extends sincere condolences to Anthony Williams’ family, friends and all others impacted by this tragic accident.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 3:34 PM.
