Loomis mourns hit-and-run death of treasurer Roger Carroll

A stunned Loomis community mourns the loss of beloved town Treasurer Roger Carroll, who was killed Saturday in a hit-and-run bicycle accident in nearby Sutter County. Carroll, 62, was hit on his bicycle by a 2007 GMC Yukon on Bear River Drive in Sutter County at about 7 a.m. Saturday, near the Placer County town of Sheridan, according to CHP reports. Carroll died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, authorities said. Carroll was riding in the eastbound lane when the SUV allegedly hit him, the CHP said. A competitive bicyclist, Carroll was training for a triathlon, friends said. Authorities said a nearby worker found him, called 9-1-1 and medics transported Carroll to a hospital where he later died. The motorist reportedly fled the scene, authorities said. Later that day, Yuba-Sutter CHP officers arrested a suspect, Harpreet Singh Atwal, 35. The Plumas Lake resident was charged by CHP with hit-and-run resulting in death, and vehicular manslaughter. The suspect, who was reportedly not injured in the accident, was booked at Sutter County Jail with bail set at $500,000, CHP announced. According to the Sutter County Jail roster, the suspect was released Sunday and is expected to be arraigned this week. Town shockedCarroll worked 25 years as finance director/treasurer for the town of Loomis, where he raised his family. Carroll was a dedicated family man whose eyes "lit up" when talking about his family, said Loomis Town Manager Sean Rabe. "Roger was just an amazing person," Rabé said. "He certainly was a key part of our town staff. We will miss his quick wit and dry humor, and more than anything, his friendship." Rabé admired Carroll's dedication to keeping the town's finances in order. "The town is in the financial position it is in now because Roger was so good at his job. Loomis was his town and he took immense pride in his work," Rabé said. Said Town Councilmember Jenny Knisley, "Our small town of Loomis is like a big family that is grieving for Roger and his loved ones. He will be greatly missed." Renaissance man Don and Myrna Carroll had twin boys, Roger and Phillip, in 1960. Young Roger Carroll grew up in Sacramento and aspired to be a photographer after graduating from Mira Loma High School. He went on to earn a business degree at Sacramento State University and became a CPA. Carroll met his wife, Jo, in the Mira Loma High School band and their love of music was a big factor in moving to Loomis. He played French horn and she plays bass clarinet. "We knew Del Oro High School had a good band and we wanted our kids to be in that," Carroll said in a 2021 interview. "Our daughters have been best friends since high school," Knisley said Monday. "Roger and his wife, Jo, contributed countless hours to the band program." Several who knew Carroll called him an extraordinary "Renaissance Man," citing his wide-ranging interests and talents, including wedding photographer and Loomis Library advisor. Carroll was perhaps best-known around town as a skilled entertainer, a master ventriloquist and magician who delighted Loomis Basin audiences for decades with an army of puppets. In fact, Gold Country Media was planning last week a feature about his love for entertaining and working for the town. The puppet master "I learned ventriloquism and magic as a 9-year-old. I got embarrassed at my first performance and put it away for more than 20 years," Carroll told Gold Country Media last week. "In my 30s, my wife, Jo, was in charge of Sunday school and the lady who taught songs quit. My wife asked me to fill in, so I brought a puppet." The performance went so well that Carroll took an advanced ventriloquism course and began making his own puppets with help from his master seamstress wife. "I have more than 100 puppets, mostly self-produced," Carroll said last week. The standard performing "cast" included Leonard the Lizard; Vern the Vulture; Snartlac the alien; Dermit McFrog; Leonard Snodgrass; The Winky Wonky Donkey; and Carroll's original sidekick, Uncle Larry, aka Scoutmaster Larry and Professor Larry. Carroll performed at elementary schools, PTAs, libraries, church and scouting events, Loomis Senior Life Center luncheons, chamber functions, and the Loomis Cowpoke Fall Gathering youth program. He was also an honored guest at ventriloquist conventions. "I rubbed shoulders with some of the greats like Jeff Dunham, Terry Fator, Paul Winchell (voice of Tigger), and my mentor, Jimmy Nelson," Carroll said. Each year at the Loomis Cowpoke Fall Gathering youth show, Carroll urged children to take pride in daring or odd pursuits. "I would tell the kids, 'If there is something you love to do that others may not understand or care about, don't feel embarrassed about it. Do it anyway or you might miss out on something you love for 20 years, like I did,'" said Carroll last week. Many in the community are grieving over Carroll's death. "Because Roger touched so many lives, Loomis is a better place because of him," Knisley said. Carroll is survived by his wife, Jo of Loomis; son, Markham Carroll of Loomis; daughter, Emily Carroll of Sacramento; son, Joshua Carroll of Roseville; daughter, Aileen Carroll Godfrey of Eugene, Oregon; son-in-law, Ben Godfrey; and granddaughter, Eleanor Godfrey. He is also survived by twin brother, Phillip Carroll of Modesto; sister-in-law, Jan; brother, Richard Carroll;, sister-in-law Melony of Alabama; brother, David Carroll; and sister-in-law, LeAnn of North Carolina. He was preceded in death by sisters, Susan Carroll and Donna Larsen. A Carroll family spokesperson said memorial arrangements were not yet finalized, as of press time.