Merced CHP investigating hit-and-run collision after woman found in roadway with injuries

California Highway Patrol officers are investigating a suspected hit-and-run collision after an unidentified woman was found with major injuries on East 16th Street in Merced.

At about 5:45 a.m. Thursday, the Merced Communication Center notified CHP officers that the woman was lying in the roadway near the Highway 99 off-ramp, according to a CHP news release.

Officers located her and determined she had been struck by a vehicle. The CHP investigation indicates she was walking in the roadway outside of a designated crosswalk on the East 16th Street off-ramp from northbound Highway 99.

An unknown vehicle traveling northbound on the off-ramp from the highway struck her. The driver of the vehicle continued traveling northbound, fleeing the scene, according to the release.

A passing motorist called 911 after finding the woman lying face up in the roadway. The woman was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for treatment of her injuries, according to the CHP.

The incident is under investigation and anyone with information regarding the collision or the identity of the pedestrian is asked to call the CHP Merced Area Office at 209-356-6600 or after hours at 209-356-2900.

This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 4:35 PM.