April 24, 2023 – Announced by California Highway Patrol, a woman walking her dog north of Sanger along Clinton Avenue at Bethel, was struck and killed by an off-duty Clovis Police Officer.
The name of the officer has not since been released to the public.
Just before 8 AM on the morning of April 19th, 51 year-old Ana Ortega of Sanger was walking her dog alongside a paved roadway when a “Chevrolet truck” traveling in the opposite direction collided with the pedestrian.
The Clovis Police Officer pulled over after the incident and performed CPR until first responders arrived on scene.
However, Ortega was pronounced dead at the scene. Her dog survived the crash but has major injuries, and is currently being housed at the Fresno SPCA.
According to ABC 30, California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Salas stated that they are looking into the possibility of distracted driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Clovis PD also recently posted on the City of Clovis’ website the “Dangers of Distracted Driving.”
“We are looking into all of that as well as [the possibility of] being distracted from the sun as he was traveling directly into the sun,” said CHP Officer Salas.
CHP ensures that the Clovis Police Officer is cooperating with the investigation. Clovis PD has stated that they have no comment due to the impending investigation by the California Highway Patrol.