WATSONVILLE—A 28-year-old Salinas man died late Monday night when he was struck by a car while walking on Highway 1 north of the city at this Vista Point freeway entrance.
The California Highway Patrol said the man was walking just south of the Vista Point pullout on southbound Highway 1 at 9:35 p.m. when a Gilroy man, driving a 2012 Toyota Prius, smashed into him. He was hurled onto the highway. Initial reports to 911 were that the victim was the victim lying in the middle of Highway 1 in critical condition.
At one point an off duty doctor called 911 to say the victim did not have a pulse. Two of the three southbound lanes were shut down in the area for two and a half hours to allow for a thorough investigation.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to have played a role in the crash, the CHP said.
