FRESNO, CA — A 37-year-old Fresno man died early Tuesday morning after he was struck by a vehicle while running through traffic on southbound Highway 99.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident began just after midnight on Jan. 27. Officers first responded to reports of a stopped car on the ramp between Highway 99 and Highway 180. They found the vehicle empty with its engine still running and moved it off the road.
Shortly after finding the vehicle, the CHP received several reports from witnesses who saw a person running through traffic near Fresno Street. Officers later confirmed the man was the same person seen earlier with the abandoned car.
The fatal collision occurred a short distance away in the southbound lanes of Highway 99, south of Belmont Avenue. Investigators said the man ran into the flow of traffic and was hit by a car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 22-year-old driver who hit the man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Following the crash, the CHP arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Authorities have not yet said why the man left his vehicle or what led him to run into traffic.
