Suspects Sought After Man Chased Into Traffic
MODESTO, Calif. (CBS13) -- A man is still fighting for his life after being chased into traffic and struck by a pickup truck near a Modesto strip mall Tuesday afternoon, and authorities are using surveillance video of the incident to search for the suspects.
Cameras on nearby businesses showed a group of men in their late teens or early 20s sprinting past businesses in the Central Valley Shopping Center toward Briggsmore Avenue during rush hour, chasing down a 26-year-old man.
A witness who asked not to be identified told CBS13 at least one of the assailants had a baseball bat. When the group closed in on the victim, the man darted into heavy traffic and was struck by a pickup truck.
"He figured if he could get across the road, these kids wouldn't follow because of the traffic, but he just didn't make it," the witness said.
Customers at a nearby Laundromat came to the victim's aid and called 911 while the suspected assailants fled the scene.
Investigators said the driver of the pickup truck had no chance to avoid the collision.
Detectives are trying to track down the men who were involved in the dangerous chase and have not yet released details on what sparked the incident.
The victim is still in the hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
