A woman has died after she was hit by a truck which was being driven by an off-duty Clovis police officer. The incident occurred on Clinton and Bethel in Sanger, just before 8 am. Officials stated that Ana Ortega, a 51-year-old Sanger resident, was walking her dog before the collision. While Ortega was heading west on a paved road, officials say she was hit by a 45-year-old off-duty officer driving in the opposite direction in a truck.
The officer stopped and performed CPR on Ortega until emergency teams arrived. "That off-duty Clovis Police Department officer attempted to render first aid, including CPR, until he was relieved by first responders who arrived on the scene," said California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Salas. However, Ortega was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators later clarified that the dog survived the accident but had sustained severe injuries and was taken to the Fresno County SPCA.
Officials stated that the Clovis police officer was driving his personal vehicle. Authorities say it does not appear that the officer was speeding, but they are investigating the possibility of distracted driving. "We are investigating all of that, as well as the possibility of distraction by the sun as he was traveling directly into the sun. Again, there are a lot of factors at the beginning of this investigation," said Salas.
A resident who also lives near the scene of the accident said he woke up when the fire truck passed by. Mitch Fries knows the family and said that this is a sad tragedy and a chilling reminder for all drivers. "It's a little alarming, we go up and down the street in our golf cart all the time and go out for walks. There are some people who go down this street very fast. I'm not sure what the speed limit is because we're in the country, but we would like people to slow down," said Fries.
There is no suspected involvement of drugs and alcohol in this crash. The California Highway Patrol says the officer is cooperating with the investigation.
Originally posted at Liga Legal® Abogados
