Vehicle strikes, kills elderly Winton woman on Santa Fe Avenue, husband injured

Maria Luna, a 77-year-old Winton woman was killed Monday night after she was hit by a car while walking on Santa Fe Avenue between Castle Air Force Base and Atwater in Merced County, according to California Highway Patrol.

The woman’s husband, 77-year-old Javier Luna, was walking in front of her and also suffered moderate injuries as a result of the collision, CHP Merced Officer Eric Zuniga said.

The couple was reportedly walking west at about 9:30 p.m., in the westbound lane of Santa Fe Avenue, just west of Wallace Road, Zuniga said.

Maria Luna appeared to be walking in the traffic lane, close to the solid white line separating the roadway and shoulder, Zuniga said. Her husband was reportedly walking in front of her near the line.

A Nissan driving west on Santa Fe approached the couple from behind, and the driver, 26-year-old Livingston resident Yesenia Torres, tried to swerve left to avoid hitting them, Zuniga said.

However, the vehicle struck Maria Luna, who was pronounced dead at the scene, Zuniga said. Her identity was released by the Merced County Coroner’s Office Tuesday morning.

Javier Luna was taken to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto by Riggs ambulance for treatment of moderate, non-life threatening injuries, Zuniga said.

It wasn’t clear Tuesday morning whether Javier Luna also was in the traffic lane, and whether he was knocked down by the car, or his wife during the collision, Zuniga said.

Torres wasn’t injured, but was “pretty shaken up” from the collision, Zuniga said.

Neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to be factors in the collision, which remained under investigation Tuesday, Zuniga said.

This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 10:31 AM.