A pedestrian died after being struck by a car at the intersection of 14th Street and I Street in downtown Modesto on Friday, October 2, 2026. According to published reports, the vehicle did not stay at the scene, and police later located and stopped it. The Modesto Police Department is investigating, and police said the driver may have been under the influence of drugs, though whether impairment contributed to the crash has not been determined.
FOX40 reported that, before the collision, the man walked west on I Street and allegedly lay down in the roadway and covered himself with a blanket, and a westbound vehicle then struck him. The outlet reported that police used city cameras and license plate reader technology to track the vehicle, and an officer used a tire-deflation device to stop it. The driver was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run resulting in death or injury. The Modesto Bee also reported that police are asking anyone with information or video to contact the department.
A pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle at 14th and I Streets in downtown Modesto on Friday, October 2, 2026. Modesto police responded to the intersection, which was closed during the investigation. Police later arrested the driver on suspicion of hit-and-run resulting in death or injury.
According to the Salida Standard-Sentinel, the man was walking westbound before he allegedly lay down in the roadway and covered himself with a blanket, and a vehicle then struck him; the driver reportedly left the area. The outlet reports that officers used city cameras and license plate reader technology to locate the car and stopped it with a tire-deflation device. Police said the driver may have been under the influence of drugs, and the investigation remains active. The Modesto Bee reported that police had said more information would be released as it became available.
