Manslaughter Charge Filed In Woman’s Hit-And-Run Death: SC

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A female pedestrian who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Santa Cruz last week—and left pinned under the suspect's car—has died. Diana Crotty, 55, succumbed to her injuries Monday night, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department.

The suspect in the case, Alejandro Fernandez, 27, of Watsonville, was found and arrested about an hour after the June 5 incident. At the time, he was booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, driving under the influence and violation of probation, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department. As a result of Crotty's death, he has also been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, according to the SCPD.

The hit-and-run was reported around 7:12 p.m. June 5 in the area of Cedar and Maple streets. When police arrived, they found Crotty seriously injured and pinned beneath a car in the middle of the street.

The suspect, later identified as Fernandez, fled the scene and was seen jumping fences and running north toward Cathcart Street. Police located him downtown about an hour after the incident.