In a regrettable incident that took place on Tuesday night, a pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle belonging to the Clovis Fire Department in Clovis, California while the latter was responding to a service call. The victim has been identified as Melchor Mendoza, a 62-year-old resident of Clovis, according to the Fresno County Coroner's Office.

The tragic event occurred at approximately 9 p.m. on July 6 at the intersection of Barstow and Clovis Avenues. According to testimonies collected by authorities, Mendoza was walking with a woman when they decided to cross the street towards Clovis Avenue. The woman stopped at the curb, while Mendoza continued walking into the roadway.

At that precise moment, a marked fire department truck, identified as a 2021 Ford F-250, was traveling north with lights and sirens activated, responding to a call related to the 4th of July celebrations, as reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

According to the CHP, these emergency vehicles are typically driven by a supervisor. However, the driver of the truck has not been identified at this time, except for being a 50-year-old male, confirmed by the CHP on Wednesday.

The tragic accident occurred when Mendoza entered the road, and the truck driver was unable to avoid the collision despite efforts to do so. Unfortunately, the pedestrian suffered fatal injuries and passed away at the scene of the incident.

Currently, the toxicology report results for Mendoza are pending, as detailed in a press release issued by the authorities.

At the request of the Clovis Police Department, the CHP investigators have taken over the case. The Clovis Fire Department has declined to comment, deferring any additional information to the Clovis police.

This tragic accident has caused distress within the Clovis community and its surroundings. Authorities are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident, and a thorough investigation is expected to be conducted to clarify the details of what occurred. Information provided by yourcentralvalley.com