An Orange County sheriff’s deputy driving a patrol vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in Orange on Wednesday night, authorities said.
Lt. Phil McMullen of the Orange Police Department said the pedestrian, only identified as a male adult, was walking outside a crosswalk on the 3500 block of East Chapman Avenue when he was fatally struck.
The on-duty deputy, who McMullen said was driving westbound in the number two lane when the collision occurred, stopped after the impact.
Details are limited, but paramedics arrived and ultimately pronounced the pedestrian dead at the scene.
A nearby worker who identified himself as Jake told the news video service ANG News he saw the sheriff’s vehicle collide with a white car and later learned a pedestrian had been hit. Police could not immediately confirm whether a second vehicle was involved.
“I don’t believe [the deputy] had lights or sirens on — at least I didn’t hear it,” Jake said. “It’s a good reminder to always be aware.”
McMullen said that there was no indication the deputy had lights or sirens activated at the time — “Just normal driving,” he added.
An employee working the drive-thru at a nearby In-N-Out Burger said drivers often speed along that stretch of Chapman Avenue. “These lights are like always green, so people just speed, and there’s not a long distance between lights,” he said, urging motorists to slow down.
Speeding or other possible factors in the crash were not immediately mentioned by officials. The crash remains under investigation by Orange police with assistance from the Sheriff’s Department.
Chapman Avenue was expected to be closed in the area for five to six hours while the major accident investigation team processed the scene, McMullen said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Orange Police Department at 714-744-7476.
Nancy Fontan, Nidia Becerra and Vanessa Garcia contributed to this report.
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