A leisurely stroll around a Turlock park turned deadly Thursday night, when a vehicle jumped a curb and rammed into two pedestrians.
The hit-and-run accident occurred at approximately 10:25 p.m. last night, on Joett Drive near Turlock's Summerfaire Park.
A 46-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man were walking around the park when they were struck by what witnesses describe as a white car.
Skid marks on the scene seem to indicate that the vehicle was traveling northbound on Joett Drive toward Hawkeye Avenue, when the vehicle suddenly swerved just before Tramway Place. The vehicle then appears to have jumped the curb, driven over the sidewalk, and slid across approximately 20 feet of grass into the middle of Summerfaire Park.
When Turlock police and fire personnel responded to the scene, they found the woman was fatally injured and the man was suffering from serious non-life threatening injuries. The victims' names are not being released until families are notified.
The vehicle was found unoccupied. The driver apparently fled the scene on foot before police arrived, Turlock police said.
Rene Salas, 49, of Turlock, has been identified as a person of interest in the investigation. Turlock investigators are searching for Salas for questioning.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, or is aware of Salas' whereabouts, is asked to contact Turlock Police Department Major Accident Investigation Team Investigator Michael Stapler at 209-668-5550 ext. 6683. Anonymous tips may be left by calling Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636.
