Police arrested an Oakdale man in connection with a suspected drunk driving accident that killed a pedestrian.
Matthew Keith, 28, alleged struck and killed John Hughes, 61, of Newman on Sunday, Feb. 9 as Hughes walked along the east side of the highway inside the white fog line.
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Keith traveled northbound on Highway 120 in his Chevrolet pickup at about 6:45 p.m. when he hit Hughes, also going northbound, but on foot. The accident happened north of Oakdale, near Valley Home Road.
After striking Hughes, Keith kept on going to his Oakdale home. At about 9:30 p.m., Hughes phoned police after hearing about the accident on social media. He contended that he hit an unknown object, according to news reports.
Police arrived at Keith’s home, and determine him to be under the influence. As a result, police arrested him on suspicion of DUI causing injury or death. It is undetermined at this time if he will face hit-and-run charges.
Pedestrian deaths are at a 30-year high, according to findings by the Governors Highway Safety Association. In 2018, 6,283 pedestrians died in traffic accidents in the US. Most of the deaths, however, occur in larger cities. Regardless, that is the highest rate since 1990 and it takes in 17 percent of all traffic fatalities, which is a 3.4 percent increase from the year prior.For more information on pedestrian safety, and other vehicle safety concerns, go to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association at www.ghsa.org.