Family Still Seeks Answers in Death of Hit and Run Victim

It’s been three month today since 24-year-old Jacksen Madsen was killed in a hit and run accident along San Tomas Expressway.

Madsen had been walking when he was struck and killed on the busy expressway near Campbell Avenue. His family is still looking for answers.

"CHP has told us nothing," said Amber Madsen, Jacksen's sister. "Every day that’s ticking by, it’s one more day that this person is not going to be caught."

The family first voiced their frustration over the lack of information in the case in a letter sent to Campbell Patch on Jan. 10, 2013.

"I want some sort of closure, especially for his family and close friends, but also for the community," said Heather Johnson, a friend of the family. "Jackson was a young, healthy, good kid with goals in life. He was taken too soon and it's obvious that it wasn't of 'natural causes'"

Fliers asking for information on Madsen's whereabouts leading up to his death can be seen posted on the windows at Katie Blooms.

The Campbell Police Department, who was first on the scene but not the investigating agency, said that on Dec. 22, 2012:

"The Campbell Police Department responded along with officers from the California Highway Patrol to a hit and run collision at San Tomas Expressway/Campbell Ave. Campbell PD assisted CHP with securing the scene. The California Highway Patrol has jurisdiction over San Tomas Expressway and is the investigating and reporting agency for this crime."

California Highway Patrol Spokesman D.J. Sarabia said that he is aware of contact being made between CHP and the Madsen family and that this case is "complex."

"Typically in a collision that there’s a death, a 24-hour profile is done," Sarabia said, "Officers go back 24-hours to see where they (the victim) were, who they were with." 

Although each case is different, Sarabia said that typically, CHP investigators will interview everyone that's involved and follow up on any lead, any message that they receive.

"When we have exhausted every lead and there’s nowhere else to go, that’s when they wrap up the case typically," he said. "We don’t comment to keep the case intact. We want to put it all together in one big package and let it out to everybody at once."

He makes mention of the case involving a party bus and the death of a female passenger last summer as an example of how long investigations can go, depending on the circumstances and evidence.

"That party bus case from last year is still ongoing," Sarabia said. "It's all about trying to find leads and finding people that can come forward. We don’t want to close something knowing that there may be information out there." 

As to where this particular case is at, he said that the investigation is still open and that CHP is still looking for leads.

"Unfortunately, cases that are this complex ... we don’t have many witnesses," Sarabia said. "It could take a while."

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the California Highway Patrol office at 408-467-5400.

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