A 55-year-old woman walking in a crosswalk was struck by a car and killed Friday night in Turlock.
The deceased has been identified as 55-year-old Kathryn Hays of Turlock.
The collision in the area of Lander and Bernell avenues was reported by numerous callers around 7:18 p.m. Friday.
Hays was crossing Lander in a crosswalk when she was struck by a Toyota Prius that was traveling northbound at an undetermined speed, said Turlock Police spokesperson Officer Mayra Lewis.
The force of the impact sent Hays airborne and she landed on the pavement, north of the intersection.
Miguel Padilla was walking in the crosswalk about three to seven feet behind Hays when she was struck.
“I was going to run up and walk with her, then I saw a car coming so I stopped and when I looked again she had been hit,” Padilla said. “It was just seconds. If I had run, I wouldn’t be here talking today.”
Padilla said the Prius appeared to be going about 35 to 40 mph at the time.
“That area is really dark,” Padilla said. "By the time she hit her brakes, it was too late.”
Hays was rushed to Emanuel Medical Center, where she died from her injuries, Lewis said.
The name of the 59-year-old woman driving the Prius has not been released. The driver did remain at the scene and was cooperating with investigators. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the collision, Lewis said.
The collision is being investigated by the police department’s Major Accident Investigation Team.
The fatal collision comes just a few weeks after the police department was awarded a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The $69,000 grant will be used to fund a year-long program of special enforcements and public awareness efforts to prevent traffic related deaths and injuries.
In the recently adopted Turlock Active Transportation Plan, Lander Avenue was identified as the fourth highest collision corridor in the city with 10 pedestrian and 16 bicycle crashes reported on the road from 2003 to 2012.
Lander Avenue pedestrian improvements, including closing gaps in the sidewalk network and improving crossings at intersections, was ranked sixth on a list of prioritized corridor projects in the ATP.
