Motorist dies in north Modesto after swerving to avoid cat
A motorist who swerved to avoid hitting a cat on Standiford Avenue on Friday morning died after crashing into a tree and wall at a strip mall.
At about 7 a.m. the man was driving east in an older model compact car when he swerved right to avoid the cat just west of McHenry, said Modesto Police Department Sgt. Kalani Souza.
His vehicle hit a tree and a wall along the parking lot for Joann Fabric.
The man, whose name was withheld pending notification of his family, died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, Souza said.
“The damage on the vehicle was very minor and the driver more than likely would have survived the accident if he had been wearing his seat belt,” he said.
Drugs or alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the collision. Traffic officers are investigating whether speed contributed to the collision.
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 10:21 AM.
