A Silverton Hospital employee has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run collision that resulted in the death of a pedestrian in Woodburn, police said. Kenneth Kolarsky, 58, of Portland, was apprehended Saturday night near the hospital premises, where he is employed. The arrest, tied to an outstanding warrant for felony hit-and-run, was a joint operation between Silverton and Woodburn police departments, according to a report by KGW.
The fatal incident occurred last December, taking the life of Nicolas Hernandez-Mendoza, 44. Investigators from the Woodburn Police Department suspect he was struck by a light-colored SUV after being found lying in the roadway. Hernandez-Mendoza was then transported to Salem Hospital, where, despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries, according to a report by KATU. The suspect vehicle was last seen making a sequence of turns onto Williams Avenue and then Carol Street as it fled the scene.
The vehicle involved in the incident is alleged to have hit Hernandez-Mendoza as he crossed the highway in a crosswalk, before speeding away. This detail of the tragedy was brought to light by KPTV, which highlighted the abrupt and unlawful departure of the involved SUV, emphasizing the severity of the scene left in its wake.
