Patterson man killed in hit-and-run on Highway 33

The California Highway Patrol is seeking public assistance in identifying the vehicle and driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash on State Route 33 on Thursday morning south of Patterson. The victim has been identified at 51-year-old Ramiro Rincon of Patterson.

At about 5:40 a.m., the driver of a big rig traveling south on Highway 33 south of Marshall Road drove onto the west shoulder and attempted to make a U-turn when it was unsafe because of an approaching vehicle, according to a news release from CHP spokesman Officer Eric Parsons.

Rincon was southbound in a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado and struck the left rear of the big rig, which was blocking both lanes. He suffered fatal injuries. The truck driver fled southbound on Highway 33.

The truck is described as a white, late-’90s model Freightliner tractor with a sleeper berth. It was pulling a 53-foot refrigerated trailer that was either silver or white. The damage should be to the left rear portion of the Freightliner.

Anyone with information regarding the driver or big rig involved in the collision is asked to contact Officer Thomas Stewart at the California Highway Patrol Office in Modesto, 209-545-7440.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Patterson man killed in hit-and-run on Highway 33."