Teenager, adult face charges in Turlock hit-and-run that critically injured pedestrian
A 16-year-old boy is charged with hit-and-run driving in a Sept. 23 collision that critically injured a Turlock pedestrian.
The name of the driver was not provided in Wednesday’s news release by the Police Department because he is a juvenile.
He is accused of fleeing after striking a 41-year-old man with a van at Lander and East Glenwood avenues just before 11 p.m. The man, who was not identified, was taken to a Modesto hospital.
“The victim suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of this collision,” the release said. “It is unknown if he will ever fully recover from his injuries.”
The release said the driver was arrested Oct. 12 but did not specify where. The next day, an adult relative was arrested on an accessory charge, accused of urging the boy to the leave the crash scene. He was identified as Rick Thomas, 36, of Turlock.
Right after the crash, police said, a witness followed the boy about two miles to a church parking lot in the area of South Walnut Road and Greenway Avenue.
The driver got out of the vehicle and ran to a nearby orchard, an earlier release said. Officers were unable to find him despite help from an aircraft and K-9 from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, police said.
Several hours later, the boy went to the Police Department with a parent and has cooperated with the investigation, the release said. He was arrested a few weeks later.
This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 4:49 PM.
