The man who was struck by a pickup as he drove into its path on an electric scooter Wednesday afternoon has died from his injuries.
Around 1:50pm, Watsonville Police and Firefighters got a report of a man that was struck by a Dodge Big Horn pickup on Second Street just west of Rodriguez Street.
When emergency officials arrived the 38-year-old man was sprawled on the pavement bleeding heavily in front of Watsonville Fire Station 1.
The female driver of the truck remained on the scene, said WPD spokeswoman Erika Vazquez.
Police cordoned off the area with yellow tape and closed down Second Street between Walker and Rodriguez streets.
Sgt. Jarrod Pisturino said the man sped out from a sidewalk along Rodriguez Street into Second Street where he was struck. The victim, who was wearing headphones, apparently drove quickly into the path of the truck. The impact hurled him about 20 feet up Second Street while the scooter ended up beneath the truck.
The victim was rushed to an out-of-county trauma center where he later died.
The victim’s name has not been released. The incident is still under investigation.
There are countless young kids riding scooters, all over town, with no helments, violating driving rules, on streets, causing unsafe conditions for drivers. They laugh and flip drivers off, and it seems the police are never around.