A 28-year-old pedestrian, struck by a vehicle Tuesday evening while trying to retrieve his dog that wandered into traffic on Lohman Avenue, died from his injuries at an El Paso hospital.
The pedestrian was identified by police as 28-year-old Fernando Padilla of Las Cruces.
Las Cruces police learned that about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, Padilla was walking near 2210 E. Lohman Ave. when his dog got loose and wandered into traffic. Padilla entered the eastbound lanes of Lohman Avenue from the median to retrieve his dog when he was struck by a vehicle.
Padilla was airlifted to University Medical Center of El Paso where he died from his injuries. His dog was injured during the crash and is being cared for by a friend of Padilla’s.
The vehicle that struck Padilla initially stopped, but then left the scene before police arrived. A short time later, the 34-year-old driver of that vehicle, a Mazda 3, called Central Dispatch to report what occurred. Traffic investigators interviewed the driver along with several witnesses. Charges against the driver are pending.
Information from Las Cruces Police