Oxnard police say vehicle and pedestrian crashes are on the rise
The number of crashes involving vehicles striking pedestrians are on the rise in Oxnard.
Police say that five people have been hit by cars so far this week.
“We have had 70 pedestrian vs. vehicle so far this year,” said Luis McAurthor, a commander at the Oxnard Plice Department. “That is high in comparison to where we were at last year or the year before.”
Oxnard police say out of those 70 accidents, seven were deadly. Compared to 2018, there were just five fatalities over the entire year.
“A lot of it is that our city is growing,” said McAurthor. “It is a big city. We have done a lot of operations just to combat that problem. I know that has been at the forefront of the Chief’s goals and objectives for this year, is to reduce the number of traffic and pedestrian accidents.”
One of those accidents happened Monday.
An unlicensed 17-year-old driver struck Lucia Navarro as she was walking her daughter, Millie, and their neighbor’s son to school.
Eight-year-old Alex did not make it. Lucia and Millie are still in the hospital.
“Currently there are no charges that have been filed against her, we have looked at the fact that she was unlicensed,” said McAurthor. “The only thing we have being stated is that she was blinded by the sun.”
As police investigate Monday’s tragic crash, they’re also looking into another case.
Early Wednesday morning a bicyclist was hit on C Street and Rincon way.
“The vehicle was traveling on C Street, made a turn onto Rincon Way to go West and hit a bicyclist that was in or near the intersection,” said McAurthor. “It was reported that the car drug the bicyclist about 100 yards before the pedestrian became dislodged.”
The 46-year-old man who was hit is listed in critical condition.
“What is unfortunate in this case is that the vehicle of the driver didn’t stop,” said McAurthor. “The driver continued west on Rincon Way. The only thing we have on that vehicle is that it is a Honda Accord, gray or dark colored or similar type of vehicle.”
Anyone with information on that hit-and-run is asked to contact the Oxnard Police Department.
KEYT 2019
