Paso Robles man allegedly fleeing crash tried to stop passing motorists. He was fatally hit
In an attempt to allegedly flee from the scene of a crash on Highway 99 in Modesto, a Paso Robles man tried to get motorists to stop for him and was fatally struck by one Thursday night.
The original crash occurred on southbound Highway 99, south of Pelandale Avenue, at 11:38 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Paso Robles man, identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as 27-year-old Christopher Graham, was driving a Toyota sedan and made an unsafe lane change, striking a Volvo that was in the slow lane next to him, according to the CHP.
The driver of the Volvo, a 60-year-old Modesto woman, lost control of the vehicle, traveled off the highway, through a cyclone fence and came to rest on railroad tracks that run parallel to the highway, Officer Tom Olsen said.
Graham kept driving south in an alleged attempt to flee the scene but his vehicle became disabled about a half a mile away. He got out of the vehicle and attempted to get motorists to stop for him, according to the CHP.
Olsen said Graham was waving his arms and even throwing rocks at vehicles.
Graham then walked into the slow lane, directly into the path of a Chevrolet pickup. He was struck by the pickup and died at the scene.
The driver of the Volvo was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The driver of the Chevrolet pickup, a 51-year-old Modesto man, was not injured.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 11:46 AM.
