A man in his 50s was reportedly struck by a vehicle in the northbound lanes of Black Road. The driver left the scene before authorities arrived
Santa Maria, CA – Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who fled the scene after striking and killing a pedestrian in Santa Maria early Saturday morning.
According to the Santa Maria Police Department, the incident was reported shortly after midnight on December 27, in the 600 block of Black Road.
A man in his 50s was reportedly struck by a vehicle in the northbound lanes of Black Road. The driver left the scene before authorities arrived.
The Santa Maria Police Department and firefighters responded to the scene and located the pedestrian down in the roadway. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Police are looking for the driver suspected to have been operating a white sedan believed to have been involved in the collision. The vehicle may have damage to its front and windshield.
Recent crash data for Santa Maria indicates a mixed but generally challenging trend in car crash statistics, with a notable focus on vulnerable road users and alcohol-involved incidents. In 2021, Santa Maria recorded 523 total fatal and injury collisions. The city faced specific challenges with alcohol-involved collisions (77 victims killed and injured), earning a high ranking (5th worst out of 60 comparable cities) in California for this category. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety also remains a concern, with 26 pedestrian and 21 cyclist victims, suggesting an ongoing risk to these groups despite statewide efforts to improve conditions. Statewide trends suggest that while overall fatalities saw a decline in 2023 after a post-2020 spike, the number of deaths has been a persistent road safety crisis, with high rates of alcohol-impaired and drug-involved fatalities being significant factors. The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) works with local partners, including those in Santa Maria, to implement programs addressing these issues, leveraging data to focus enforcement and safer street design to ultimately reduce serious injuries and deaths on the road.
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