Pedestrian struck by vehicle on Merced off-ramp suffers major injuries, CHP says

A pedestrian was transported to the hospital with major injuries after he was struck by a vehicle on a Highway 99 off-ramp in Merced, according to California Highway Patrol.

At about 10 p.m., Sunday, officers responded to the collision at the southbound Highway 99 Childs Avenue off-ramp, according to Officer Eric Zuniga.

Zuniga said it appears a 43-year-old Merced man was walking across the off-ramp when he was struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu driven by 34-year-old Deborah Boatner of Merced.

Authorities said Boatner was exiting the highway onto the Childs Avenue off-ramp and due to a lack of lighting was not able to see the pedestrian in the roadway. Traveling behind Boatner was 36-year-old Chowchilla resident Karem Aldafari in a 2001 Toyota Venza.

Zuniga said that when the Chevrolet locked wheels in the collision, Aldafari swerved left to avoid striking the vehicle which caused the Toyota to roll down an embankment. The pedestrian was transported to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries.

The CHP said Boatner and Aldafari cooperated with authorities and neither were injured. According to Zuniga, neither drugs nor alcohol appear be a factor in the crash which remains under investigation.