Two cars crash in southwest Modesto, killing man sitting on sidewalk, police report

Modesto Police Department

A man sitting on a sidewalk in southwest Modesto was killed Monday evening when struck by one of two vehicles that collided at an intersection, Modesto police report.

The man appears to have been homeless, according to a Police Department post on Facebook. He has been identified, but the release of his name was withheld pending notification of family. His age and community of residence were not immediately available.

The crash occurred just before 7 p.m. at the T-shaped intersection of Amador Avenue and Crows Landing Road.

The driver of a 2011 Toyota Camry was southbound on Crows Landing, MPD spokeswoman Sharon Bear said. The investigation found that the driver of a 2013 Nissan Altima pulled out of a parking lot and was crossing Crows Landing to get onto Amador when she broadsided the Camry.

The impact caused the Camry to spin and strike the man sitting on the sidewalk, Bear said.

“The male succumbed to his injuries on scene,” according to the MPD post. “Involved parties remained on scene and were cooperative with Officers. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in this incident.”

The Camry and Altima drivers both are women who live in Modesto, Bear said. The drivers’ only reported injuries were complaints of pain.

Modesto has consistently ranked among the worst for traffic crashes among its peer cities across the state. The city was second worst among 67 cities in 2020, the latest available rankings from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The city was fifth worst in the category of crashes involving pedestrians, with 96 people injured or killed.