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Suspect in Turlock hit and run arrested
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Juan Valdivia

The unlicensed driver who struck a woman pushing a stroller with three children across a Turlock street has been arrested on felony hit and run charges.

The woman, identified as Karina Aguilar-Cardona, 26, was babysitting the three children at the time and was able to push them out of the way of the oncoming car, saving them from a direct hit. She sustained a broken hand and arm and a concussion from the collision and was taken to an area hospital, the Turlock Police Department reported.

The three children, all age 5 and under, escaped the incident with scrapes and bruises, with the most significant being a minor injury to the mouth, according to the police department.

The suspect, Juan Valdivia, 66, was apprehended after a witness to the crash followed and detained him until police arrived. Valdivia, who is not licensed to drive, was arrested for hit and run causing injury.

Shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday Aguilar-Cardona was pushing a large stroller across W. Main Street in a crosswalk when they were struck by a 1993 white Honda Accord that was traveling westbound on Main.

The vehicle, occupied by Valdivia and his wife, left the area, but Michael Alexander, who was a witness to the crash followed after them. Alexander was able to get the driver to stop the vehicle at Soderquist Road and Park Street.

Alexander told KCRA News that the man and the woman appeared to not understand what had just happened.

“He acted like he didn't understand what had happened," Alexander told KCRA. "His wife jumped out of the car and started yelling at me. I pointed at the windshield and I said, 'You had an accident -- there are injured people back there. What are you doing?'”

Officers arrived at Alexander’s location and took Valdivia into custody.

Anyone who was a witness to this collision or has any information about it is asked to contact Officer Greg Roton at 668-5550 extension 6743.