Woman dies from injuries suffered in Merced hit-and-run crash. Search for suspect continues

A female pedestrian who was injured in a Merced hit-and-run crash on July 22 has died, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as Lydia Arroyo, 23, of Merced, according to Merced County Undersheriff Corey Gibson.

Arroyo was found lying in the roadway on East 16th Street near the Highway 99 off-ramp. A passing motorist spotted her and called 911. At about 5:45 a.m., CHP officers responded and Arroyo was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries, the CHP said.

According to CHP Officer Eric Zuniga, she was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day.

The CHP said an investigation determined Arroyo was walking in the roadway outside of a designated crosswalk when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver traveling in an unknown vehicle traveling northbound on the off-ramp.

Zuniga said the collision remains under investigation, as officers attempt to locate video surveillance footage from the area and identify a suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP Merced Area Office as 209-356-6600 or after hours at 209-356-2900.

Authorities said another woman was struck by a vehicle on a Highway 99 off-ramp later that day. At about 8:36 p.m. officers responded to a collision involving a vehicle and pedestrian in at the area of Highway 99 and Childs Avenue.

Sherry Armstrong, 46, of Merced was on foot traveling eastbound across the northbound Highway 99 off-ramp just south of Childs Avenue, when she was struck by a 2016 Honda Civic driven by Daniel Uribe Jr., 24, of Atwater. Uribe reported the collision to authorities and was cooperative with officers, Zuniga said.

Armstrong was taken Memorial Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries and is expected to recover, according to Zuniga.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected of being involved in the collision, the CHP said.