MENDOCINO COUNTY ? About 5:30 a.m. on Halloween amidst the fog, a vehicle hit and killed a 22-year-old pedestrian who was on the east shoulder or northbound lane on Highway 101 in Mendocino County, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The driver did not stop at the scene, leaving Chad Andrew Davis of Laytonville Saturday in the slow lane, CHP Sgt. Jim Malner said.
Two people called 9-1-1 to report Davis”s body in the road north of Irvine Lodge Rest Area and south of Laytonville.
“This man fell down or was lying down when he was struck,” Malner said.
CHP does not suspect Davis intended to be hit, Malner said. Davis had not laid out a bedroll or sleeping bag. He had been walking home when an unidentified driver hit him, either on the paved shoulder or in the lane.
CHP is looking for the driver and the vehicle that officers suspect had a high ground clearance such as a lifted truck or big rig, Malner said.
Highway 101 does not prohibit pedestrians in that area, Malner said. The CHP recommends that pedestrians wear brightly colored clothing.
Davis was wearing tan, which may not have made a difference at night in the fog, Malner said.
CHP is waiting for a coroner”s and toxicology report on Davis, Malner said.
Malner asks that any witnesses of the hit-and-run or anyone who stopped at the scene to call the CHP Garberville Area office at 707-923-2155.
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
