Fresno area sees increase in people struck by vehicles

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A fatal scene in North Fresno Sunday night.

Fresno police officers say a driver hit a 40-year-old man. He later died at the hospital.

Detectives quickly learned that the driver, Lori Bagdasarian, did not see the man in the roadway but also showed signs of being intoxicated.

Bagdasarian was arrested for misdemeanor DUI charges but was later cited and released.

A similar situation in Clovis happened Sunday night.

"It appeared that an adult male was crossing the street, heading from the Home Depot area, eastbound across Willow, when he was struck by a vehicle that was heading southbound," said Clovis Police Sgt. Abby Padgett.

The victim, in this case, did get rushed to the hospital but is expected to be okay.

While drugs, alcohol or speed do not appear to be factors in this crash, Sgt. Padgett says the person did not cross the street in the designated crosswalk.

"Even though you can cross the street, it's always safer to do so in the crosswalk. If the vehicle is traveling on the road, it has the right of way. Pedestrians cannot just step out in front of a vehicle; you always have to make sure that it is safe to do so," said Sgt. Padgett.

However, Monday morning on Shaw and First in Northeast Fresno, officers say a man was walking in the crosswalk.

"Upon arrival, our officers found a male that was struck on Shaw Avenue. He was transported by an ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased," said Fresno Police Officer Luke Tran.

This now marks the fifth crash and sixth death this year in the city of Fresno.

At this time last year, there were three deaths and three collisions.

Officer Tran says the driver is cooperating with the investigation but wants everyone to take it slowly, especially in inclement weather.

"To remind everybody who is driving on the roadway to slow down, minimize your distractions and follow all the rules of the roadway; that way, it ensures that everyone has a safe experience," said Officer Tran.

While the City of Clovis has not had any deadly crashes, from Friday morning to this Monday morning alone, they responded to 12 crashes, compared to 95 for the year -- during a weekend where wet weather played a role.

The victim's identities have not yet been released, and no formal charges have been filed by the district attorney's office yet.

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