Driver who initially stayed at Modesto crash scene faces manslaughter, hit-and-run charges
A 79-year-old Modesto bicyclist died Wednesday after being struck in what police later determined was a hit-and-run crash.
The cyclist, Bhag Mal, was riding along Snyder Avenue near Prescott Road about 8:30 a.m. when he was hit by an eastbound 2012 Dodge Ram pickup truck, according to police. He was critically injured and taken to a local hospital, where he died.
The driver of the Ram remained at the scene but denied involvement in the collision and then left the area, police said. “However, through the investigation, it was determined that she was indeed driving the pickup at the time of the crash,” according to a Modesto Police Department post on Facebook.
The driver is Destiny Aguillon, 19, of Modesto, said MPD spokeswoman Sharon Bear. The lead investigator was not available Thursday morning, so Bear did not have information on the circumstances of the crash or how Aguillon and her pickup were found responsible.
She was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center and is being charged with vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run causing death.
Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Randy Raduechel at RaduechelR@modestopd.com.
This story was originally published August 3, 2023 at 10:29 AM.
