CHP seeks hit-run driver after man, 73, dies in McClellan Park pushing wife to safety
Investigators are looking for a pickup truck involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision after a 73-year-old Citrus Heights man was killed Tuesday morning in McClellan Park, reportedly after saving his wife’s life by pushing her out of harm’s way, California Highway Patrol officials said Wednesday.
An elderly couple were crossing Palm Street at Arnold Avenue around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday when a silver pickup truck struck the man, who witnesses say pushed his wife out of the vehicle’s path, the CHP’s North Sacramento office said in a news release. The woman was not injured.
The man, whose identity has not been released by the CHP or the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office, was pronounced dead at the scene. The couple, both Citrus Heights residents, were reportedly crossing the street to go to a dental appointment, the news release said.
The driver of the truck immediately fled the scene and was last seen turning southbound onto Watt Avenue from Palm Street, according to the CHP.
The suspect vehicle is believed to be a silver Toyota pickup truck, model year 2006 to 2011.
The collision occurred during daylight hours and witnesses reported that the truck did not appear to slow down or attempt to avoid the couple, according to the CHP news release.
The fatal hit-and-run remains under investigation, with no arrests made as of Wednesday morning. The CHP’s news release notes that it is unknown whether drugs, alcohol or a medical emergency were factors in the collision. The driver has not been identified and the truck has not been located by the CHP.
Anyone with additional information about the incident or the identity of the driver is urged to contact the CHP North Sacramento office, (916) 348-2300.
