A shocking pedestrian hit-and-run tragedy claimed a man’s life over the weekend just north of Madera. The California Highway Patrol continues to search for the driver responsible.
KSEE-TV filed a report about the tragic collision. It happened early Saturday morning along Road 26 near Mateo Way in the Madera Acres community on June 17, 2023.
The California Highway Patrol determined that sometime before 1 a.m. the victim had been walking on the east shoulder of Road 26. For an unknown reason, an unidentified vehicle traveling northbound veered off the road, onto the shoulder, and struck him.
Investigators confirm that the driver responsible fled the scene without contacting authorities. The heartless choice left the victim on the side of the road until around 7:30 a.m. when drivers noticed a body and called 911. The pedestrian was found dead at the scene.
The California Highway Patrol is asking anyone who may have information about the accident or the driver involved to call the Madera area California Highway Patrol office.
Pedestrian Accident Dangers in Madera County
Hit-and-run drivers who choose to flee the scene of a pedestrian accident put the victim’s life in danger in more ways than one. If they don’t stop to help the victim, they often leave the person on or near the road where they can be hit again by unsuspecting, approaching drivers.
Hit-and-run motorists who don’t contact 911 also leave victims waiting on ambulance care. Those minutes or hours can be the difference between a victim surviving a collision or tragically passing away. Also, hit-and-run drivers leave the victim and the victim’s family to pay for the enormous medical bills, ambulance fees, and, in some cases, funeral costs that may come due after an accident.
California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) tracks pedestrian accidents across Madera County each year. They documented at least 26 pedestrian accidents involving injury in Madera County in 2022. At least five of those accidents involved a hit-and-run driver.
These statistics represent numerous lives altered by the reckless actions of hit-and-run drivers. Please consider the lives of those involved before driving away from the scene of a collision.
A word for families after a devastating Madera County pedestrian accident
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Madera County, you should be aware of the benefits available to you and your family through an insurance claim. Financial support is often available to victims and close relatives even when a hit-and-run driver isn’t identified.
You can read more about these cases on my page about tragic pedestrian accidents in Madera County.
