The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas · Adam Graham|Old Time Radio Detective Host

Dragnet: The Big Hit and Run Killer (EP4904)

February 5, 2026·33 min·3 clips

A witness describes a boy's candy spilling on the street after a truck kills his grandmother.

This episode of Dragnet follows Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero investigating a fatal hit-and-run that killed a grandmother and her nine-year-old grandson. Host Adam Graham presents this classic radio drama from 1951, which is based on actual Los Angeles Police Department files. The story begins at the scene near the Carlton Theater on a windy December night. A theater cashier witnessed the accident and describes the vehicle as a late-model, light tan panel truck with black lettering including the word "bakery." The investigation narrows the search to Nielsen's Wholesale Bakery, which operates a fleet of 173 matching trucks. The first suspect, driver Arthur V. Singer, is located and provides an alibi involving a minor collision with another motorist, which is corroborated. Attention then shifts to another driver, Daniel Miller, whose truck is found damaged and abandoned. Miller claims he loaned his truck to an acquaintance named "Paul" around 8 p.m. on the night of the crime. His alibi that he was working his part-time job at a coffee shop falls apart when a regular customer says Miller was not there at 10:30 p.m. Miller is booked on suspicion but released on a writ, and he pleads with the detectives to help find Paul to clear his name. After days of dead ends, Miller receives a tip that Paul was seen at a hotel on South Flower Street. Detectives stake out the hotel and apprehend a man registered as Paul Barton. Under questioning, Barton's story about his whereabouts on the night of the hit-run becomes inconsistent. The detectives confront him with his prior arrest for drunk driving and a revoked license. The climax occurs when Daniel Miller is brought face-to-face with Paul Barton at the police station. Barton initially denies knowing Miller, but Miller angrily confronts him about borrowing the truck and leaving him to take the blame. Barton breaks down and admits to having "two drinks" before the accident, insisting he wasn't drunk. The episode concludes with a narration stating Paul Barton was convicted on a hit-and-run felony charge and sentenced to one to five years in prison. Adam Graham reflects in his outro that the twist of a real "Paul" existing felt unusually contrived for a true story, subverting the expectation that Miller was lying. The episode is presented in Dragnet's signature documentary style, with a serious, procedural tone and matter-of-fact narration. It blends dramatic reenactment with moral commentary on the crime's severity. Listeners who enjoy methodical police procedurals and classic radio drama will appreciate this authentic case. Those seeking light entertainment or fast-paced action might find the detailed investigative steps slow.

As heard by us

A Dragnet procedural that builds tension through patient, old-school police work.

This Dragnet episode turns a hit-and-run case into a measured procedural chase through false leads, police work, and the trail left by a bakery truck.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a true-crime Dragnet chase built from a documented police case, truck damage, and dogged follow-up.

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