Week and a half after hit-and-run crash, Modesto man dies

A 49-year-old Modesto man died early Wednesday, 11 days after being struck by a car on Rouse Avenue in south Modesto.

In an initial police report of the crash, a witness said Joseph Najar was standing alongside the road with his bike, leaning over it and looking at something. He was struck by a light-blue Nissan sedan whose driver continued on, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear.

The felony hit-and-run happened shortly after 11:30 a.m. Aug. 18 at Rouse and AnniLane, Bear said. The early report said Najar suffered head trauma but was expected to survive. A niece told The Bee on Tuesday that he was brain dead, and Bear confirmed that he died at 2:15 Wednesday morning.

Police have no license plate number for the Nissan, Bear said, nor any description of the driver. No evidence such as a broken car part was found at the scene.

We’ll have more information as it’s available.

Anyone with information on the hit-and-run crash is asked to call the Modesto Police Department at 209-572-9500 or Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips also can be submitted via www.stancrimetips.org or by downloading the P3 app on a mobile device.

This story was originally published August 29, 2018 at 9:09 AM.