Modesto man's arm amputated after being hit by SUV

An intoxicated man who was jumping in and out of traffic on a rural country road lost his right arm Saturday night when he was struck by a drunken driver, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The pedestrian, identified only as a 39-year-old Modesto resident, was on Dodds Road, west of Escalon-Bellota Road, about 9:45 p.m. at the time of the crash, police said. Officers had received multiple calls of a man jumping in and out of traffic in the area and were responding when the collision took place, according to the CHP.

He was hit by a 24-year-old Escalon man driving east on Dodds Road, police said. The man was driving his 2003 Chevrolet Suburban about 55 mph at the time of impact and didn’t initially realize he had struck a person, officials said. After turning his SUV around, he realized a person had been injured.

The pedestrian had his right arm amputated at the hospital and could have additional injuries, police said.

The driver of the SUV was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving during the preliminary investigation, according to authorities.