Man Killed Crossing Hwy 1 On New Year's Eve ID'd

SANTA CRUZ, CA – A 38-year-old man who died after running across state Highway 1 near Santa Cruz on Monday evening has been identified as Roberto Garcia of Watsonville, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

Garcia's vehicle had become disabled and was partially blocking a southbound lane of Highway 1 at 5:45 p.m. when the California Highway Patrol responded to the scene.

An officer noticed signs of intoxication and Garcia began walking into traffic lanes, according to the CHP. The officer tried to pull him back but Garcia allegedly jerked out of the officer's grasp and ran across both lanes of the highway and jumped a guardrail.

He then ran into the northbound lanes directly into the path of a Subaru in the highway's fast lane just north of 41st Street, CHP officials said. He was hit by the Subaru and died at the scene at about 6 p.m.

The Subaru driver, a 46-year-old San Jose woman, is not suspected of intoxication but Garcia was likely under the influence of drugs or alcohol, CHP officials said.

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