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SALINAS — Northbound lanes of Highway 101 were shut down for several hours last Thursday night, as both Salinas PD and CHP officers investigated the death of 34-year-old Domingo J. Orozco of Castroville.
That evening at around 6:25, a police officer on patrol in North Salinas spotted a stolen vehicle in the 99-Cent Store parking lot. He attempted a stop, but the driver fled instead.
A pursuit then ensued as the vehicles headed west on Laurel Drive. Orozco tried to turn onto the on-ramp of US-101 but lost control of the vehicle and barreled into the shrubs.
Orozco and a second suspect ditched the car, but the passenger ran southbound. Orozco headed north and, when he tried to cross the northbound lanes of 101, he was hit by a pick-up and killed at the scene.
The other suspect was chased to an apartment complex on the 1100 block of Monroe and managed to escape.
The driver of the truck which struck Orozco has cooperated with the investigation and will not be charged.
