2 unhoused men killed in 2 hit-and-run crashes in Fresno
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – In less than a week, two deadly hit-and-run crashes have claimed the lives of two unhoused individuals in Fresno. The most recent happened Thursday early morning … Two hit-and-run crashes in less than a week have killed two unhoused individuals in Fresno, California. The most recent occurred early Thursday morning when an unhoused man was run over by a car off of Clinton and Chestnut Avenues. The second occurred Saturday when an SUV driver crashed into a homeless encampment after driving off the 41 freeway near the 180 interchange. The driver initially cooperated with investigators but then suddenly took off an unidentified vehicle and has since not been found. According to the Fresno Police Department, nine pedestrians have been fatally hit by cars in 2024, six of whom were unhoused people. The CEO of the Fresno Mission, Matt Dildine, believes this problem will continue until California addresses the homeless crisis.
Published : a month ago by Rhett Rodriguez in General
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – In less than a week, two deadly hit-and-run crashes have claimed the lives of two unhoused individuals in Fresno.
The most recent happened Thursday early morning off of Clinton and Chestnut Avenues.
Officers say it happened just after midnight when an unhoused man was run over by a car
Sgt. Dianna Trueba-Vega with the Fresno Police Department says they are doing everything they can to find the person responsible.
“We take it very seriously, we investigate as serious as homicide and we will find that person and bring them to justice,” said Trueba-Vega.
The second took place on Saturday.
The California Highway Patrol says an unhoused man was killed when the driver of an SUV crashed into a homeless encampment after driving off 41 freeway near the 180 interchange.
That driver, officials say, initially cooperated with investigators but then suddenly took off an unidentified vehicle and has since not been found.
According to the Fresno Police Department, nine pedestrians have been fatally hit by cars in 2024, and six of those nine have been unhoused people.
“Traffic safety is everyone’s responsibility, whether it’s a person that is walking or a person that is on a bicycle, a person that is driving. We all need to be aware of our surroundings,” said Trueba-Vega.
CEO of the Fresno Mission Matt Dildine says he believes this problem will continue until something is done to address the homeless crisis.
“The street is the number one killer in Fresno, certainly until California gets serious about taking a radical shift in how they attack homelessness we are going to keep seeing these deaths happen,” said Dildine.
Topics: Traffic, Crime