After Release From Jail, Suspect In Wild Chase Struck And Killed Along Fresno Freeway
FRESNO COUNTY (CBS13) — The suspect in a wild chase from Stockton to Fresno County last week was struck and killed over the weekend after being released from jail, authorities say.
According to California Highway Patrol, around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to the area of southbound Highway 41 near the eastbound Highway 180 connector in Fresno to investigate a report of a person hit by a car.
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Officers say the person was reportedly walking in the roadway just before he was struck by a car going around 65 mph.
The person was pronounced dead by medics at the scene, CHP says, while the driver of the car also suffered major injuries in the resulting crash after he tried to avoid striking the pedestrian.
On Monday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the person struck and killed was 26-year-old Derris Kennedy - the suspect in last week's wild chase involving a tractor-trailer. In that incident, authorities said Kennedy was recklessly driving a semi from Stockton to the Los Banos area. The chase ended when Kennedy crashed the semi into several smaller cars and flipped - but not before he allegedly tried to carjack some other drivers.
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Kennedy had bonded out of jail on Friday evening, the sheriff's office says. He was set to face several charges, including carjacking, reckless driving causing injury, hit-and-run, resisting arrest, and battery on a peace officer.
It's unclear why Kennedy was walking in the roadway on Saturday.
Officers say neither drugs nor alcohol were factors in Saturday's incident.
