Modesto man seen running from crash scene is found dead in backyard 5 blocks away
A Modesto man who ran from the scene of a crash in Empire was found dead in the backyard of a home five blocks away, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred Friday around 6:18 p.m. on Church Street, south of Second Street. A Jeep hit a mailbox and a fence, sustaining minor collision damage, according to Officer Aaron Norseen.
Witnesses reported seeing a man running from the crash scene, and officers found the Jeep unoccupied west of the roadway.
About 25 minutes later, a woman called 911 to report seeing a man jump over her fence into her yard, Norseen said. The woman’s neighbor then called police and reported a man tore off a fence board, entered his backyard and collapsed.
The man, identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office as 41-year-old Francisco Martinez, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Norseen said an autopsy will be needed to determine if Martinez died from crash injuries or a medical issue. Alcohol is a suspected factor in the crash.
