Street racing led to crash that killed pedestrian on Modesto’s Scenic Drive, police say
Street racing led to the collision that killed a 66-year-old Modesto man walking on the sidewalk along the cemeteries on Scenic Drive on Friday night, according to Modesto police.
The collision occurred just before 10 p.m., between Coffee Road and Bodem Street, where a motorcyclist and the driver of a BMW were racing westbound, according to a press release.
As the motorcyclist came upon slower moving traffic he swerved to the right to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of him.
The motorcycle hit the curb and ejected the motorcyclist. Both he and the motorcycle hit the pedestrian.
The man died at the scene despite a bystander’s efforts to save his life, according to Modesto police. The Stanislaus County coroner’s office identified him on Monday as 66-year-old David Valverde.
The motorcyclist sustained substantial injuries and was admitted to an area hospital, according to the press release. The driver of the BMW, an adult male, remained on the scene. Modesto police would not release their names.
Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in this crash, according to the press release.
Sgt. Kalani Souza said the crash remains under investigation, including whether anyone will face criminal charges.
This is the 16th fatal collision this year and the second involving “drivers who were racing killed an innocent person,” according to the release. That compares to 18 fatal crashes at the same time last year, said Souza. There were a total of 22 last year.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information relevant to this investigation should contact Officer Kyle Johnson at (209) 342-9178 or JohnsonK@ModestoPD.com
This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 1:50 PM.
