German tourist killed crossing SLO street to get groceries, police say
San Luis Obispo police say a 62-year-old German woman was killed Tuesday night attempting to cross Madonna Road.
Sgt. John Villanti said the tourist, who has yet to be identified, was staying at a hotel in the 200 block of Madonna Road.
According to Villanti, the woman was struck by a gray Honda Accord around 9:24 p.m. while crossing the street. It appeared she had gone to the nearby Ralphs grocery store in the Madonna Plaza shopping center to get groceries, he added.
The tourist was not in one of the designated crossing areas when she was struck, Villanti said.
“This is a reminder to use intersections and controlled crosswalks,” Villanti said. “It’s tough when you are crossing six lanes of traffic, and we all know that perhaps people go through there a little faster at night than they should.”
Police and medics arrived and the tourist was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, he said.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office are working together to identify the woman and notify her next of kin.
Police evaluated the 30-year-old female driver of the vehicle for driving under the influence, according to a news release.
Drugs and alcohol were not considered to be factors in the collision, Villanti said, and no arrests were made at scene.
Anybody who witnessed the crash or has information about the investigation is encouraged to call Officer Luca Benedetti at 805-594-8060.
This story was originally published October 9, 2019 at 12:22 PM.
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