Victor Martinez Gonzalez Obituary, Death; – A 67-year-old man from Salida lost his life early Thursday in a hit-and-run incident, with the suspected driver apprehended nearby on charges of DUI and vehicular manslaughter, as reported by the California Highway Patrol.
The accident took place around 3:41 a.m. at the intersection of Covert Road and Toomes Road, according to a news release from the CHP. Emergency responders discovered a Toyota sedan in a field located southwest of the intersection.
The deceased driver, identified as 67-year-old Victor Martinez Gonzalez from Salida, was pronounced dead at the scene. Approximately a mile away, officers found a 2006 Honda sedan near the intersection of Hammett and Bacon roads. The driver, 20-year-old Luis Mercado-Ulloa from Modesto, had fled the crash site, as stated by the CHP.
Investigators suspect that Gonzalez was heading south on Toomes Road and had come to a stop at the intersection with Covert Road. Mercado-Ulloa was reportedly driving west on Covert when he neglected to stop at the stop sign and collided with the Toyota on its side. CHP officers concluded that Mercado-Ulloa was under the influence of alcohol. He was subsequently arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of felony DUI, hit-and-run, and vehicular manslaughter.
