Cause of death determined for man found in Empire backyard after running from crash scene
The cause of death has been determined for a Modesto man whose body was found in a backyard after he ran from a crash scene.
According to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office, 41-year-old Francisco Martinez died of a methamphetamine overdose.
On July 7, Martinez was driving a Jeep on Church Street when he crashed into a mailbox and fence, then got out of the vehicle and fled, according to the California Highway Patrol.
About 25 minutes later, a woman called 911 to report seeing a man jump over her fence into her yard. The woman’s neighbor then called police and reported a man tore off a fence board, entered his backyard and collapsed, according to the CHP.
Police responded to the scene and found Martinez dead.
This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 11:00 AM.
