Sacramento notches second traffic fatality in four days
SACRAMENTO — An early Sunday morning accident that sent a pedestrian crashing onto a stretch of light rail tracks downtown is the second traffic fatality to occur in Sacramento over a four-day period.
Det. Jim Anderson with the Sacramento Police Department’s Major Collision Unit is investigating the two unrelated cases.
The latest fatality occurred just after 2 a.m. Sunday, when a blue 2006 Dodge Stratus traveling southbound on N. 12 the Street struck a male pedestrian walking across the number one lane approaching N. B Street. The victim, identified as Anthony M. Ferris, a 40-year-old man out of Elverta, was thrown onto the light rail tracks and suffered fatal head injuries.
Police interviewed the driver at the scene. According to a release from the Sacramento Police Department, Ferris was not walking in a crosswalk at the time of the accident and investigators don’t believe alcohol played a role. Police don’t yet know what speed the Stratus was traveling when it hit the victim.
On Thursday, it was the reckless speed of two vehicles that resulted in the death of one of the drivers, when a Sacramento woman with a suspended license and warrant for her arrest smashed a stolen van into a car stopped for a red light.
Renee A. Hines, 31, had an active misdemeanor no-bail warrant when she and the driver of a red pickup truck were traveling westbound on Fruitridge Road approaching 62nd Street at speeds deemed unsafe for traffic conditions. After colliding with the stopped car, the white van Hines was in flipped over and partially ejected her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses indicate the driver of the red pickup may have known the victim and investigators are still trying to piece together several details. Investigators hope the driver of the red pickup will come forward and assist with the investigation.
According to Major Collision Investigations Unit Sgt. Michael Carrasco, the two deaths bring the number of traffic fatalities in the city of Sacramento to 11.
Anyone with information pertaining to either incident is asked to contact Anderson at (916) 808-3776.
