Two persons died over the weekend in separate vehicle crashes in Stanislaus County, one being a woman who appeared to deliberately walk in front of traffic north of Ceres and was struck a second time.
A driver in that incident fled the scene and is being sought by the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP received a report at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Friday that a woman was down in the roadway of Riverside Drive south of Nathan Avenue. CHP officers found the woman deceased with obvious signs of being hit by a vehicle.
Her identity is pending verification by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office.
The CHP’s preliminary investigation states the victim was standing on the east shoulder of Riverside Drive when she intentionally ran into the roadway in front of northbound traffic. The pedestrian entered the path of a 2000 Ford pickup truck driven by Alberto Alvarez Tatengo, 59, of Modesto who was unable to avoid hitting her.
A white sedan of unknown make and model traveling directly behind the Ford truck ran over the woman. That driver fled the scene.
The intersection of Riverside Drive and Nathan Avenue was closed for approximately 90 minutes during the investigation. It is unknown whether alcohol or drugs were factors for the driver who fled. Tatengo remained at the scene and was determined not to be under the influence.
Anyone with information regarding this intentional act and subsequent hit-and-run crash is encouraged to contact CHP Detective Aaron Norseen or Officer F. Arias at 209-545-7440.
West county solo crash fatality
The second fatality occurred Saturday morning at approximately 10:40 a.m. on southbound Interstate 5 north of Stuhr Road. CHP officers arrived to find a red 2004 Ford SUV overturned on its roof with its driver, a 30-year-old male from Van Nuys deceased.
Passenger Angela Quiroga, 32, also of Van Nuys, was extricated from the wreckage by emergency personnel and flown by helicopter to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries.
Both occupants of the Ford were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
CHP investigators believe the driver of the Ford was traveling northbound on Interstate 5 north of Stuhr Road, at an unknown speed. For unknown reasons, the driver turned left into the center median and lost control with the Ford overturning, sliding into the southbound lanes, and coming to rest on its roof on the southbound shoulder and right lane.
Traffic was delayed for two hours due to the process of investigating the scene.
The CHP has not determined whether alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the crash.
