Video shows moments after pedestrian hit, killed by San Joaquin deputy near Stockton
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – Cell phone video shows the moments after a San Joaquin County sheriff's deputy hit a pedestrian in the middle of a road with his patrol vehicle.
According to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, the deputy was heading eastbound on Highway 88, also known as Waterloo Road, when they ran into the person in the #1 lane near the Taco Bell at Piccoli Road. The deputy immediately called for help, jumped out and started trying to save the person's life.
Medics later pronounced the person dead, the sheriff's office says. The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the person as 34-year-old Kayla Cotton, who was homeless.
Jordan Colorado showed the video he says he took moments after the crash outside his workplace. He says the woman hit was crossing the street with another person when she was struck.
The sheriff's office, the district attorney, and the California Highway Patrol are investigating what led up to the collision.
A sheriff's spokesperson says the person was wearing dark clothing when they were crossing the roadway at around 11 p.m. Sunday.
Gaspar Esparza is also homeless and stays near the highway. He is hoping to learn if he knew the person killed in the crash.
"We don't know who to mourn yet," Esparza said. "My thoughts are what was the sheriff deputy looking at? He should be more aware than all of us."
The sheriff's office noted that the deputy was on patrol at the time of the incident, but not on a call.
The speed limit for this section of Highway 88 is 45 miles an hour. There are no crosswalks. During the day, a CBS13 camera also captured a person trying to cross the street in busy traffic.
As investigators processed this crash scene overnight, they confirmed there was yet another collision.
Colorado watched as a driver sped through the police tape. He says the vehicle hit the body lying in the road.
"He just completely speeds through. It's crime taped off. There's police. There's people screaming, but the car keeps going until it hits the body. It hits the body. The body flies maybe 20 more yards," Colorado said.