A Ukiah man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly hitting and killing a pedestrian while driving onto Highway 101 early Tuesday morning, the California Highway Patrol reported.
According to CHP Sgt. Erich Paarsch, officers responded to the Talmage Road on-ramp to southbound Hwy. 101 shortly after 5 a.m. Jan 30 when someone reported that a man in the roadway appeared to have been struck by a vehicle.
Paarsch described the man as having “severe injuries” to his head, left leg and rib cage that appeared consistent with having been struck by a vehicle. CHP officers treated him until paramedics arrived, then the man was transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley.
The victim was later transported to a trauma center out of the area, but “passed away last night,” Paarsch said Wednesday. He described the man as being in his 50s and living in the area, but said his name is being withheld until his family has been notified.
During their investigation of the incident, CHP officers used witness statements as well as surveillance footage from the nearby gas station and Walmart to identify a pick-up truck that may have hit the man.
Early Wednesday morning, officers contacted the owner of the pickup truck, which had front-end damage, and he reportedly confessed to having hit the man while on his way to work and leaving the scene while being aware he had struck and injured a pedestrian.
Paarsch said it was dark outside when the man was hit and since he was wearing dark clothing and not using a crosswalk the initial collision was not entirely the driver’s fault, but “any driver who hits someone is required to stop, check on the person and dial 911 if necessary.”
Paarsch said Officer Jacob Slates investigated the incident and interviewed the suspect, identified as Michael W. Seigler, 52, who recently moved to Ukiah from Fort Bragg, on Wednesday morning before arresting him on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run. He is not believed to have been driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Seigler was booked into Mendocino County Jail Wednesday morning under an unknown amount of bail.
