An elderly woman lost her life in Rancho Cucamonga after being struck by a car while crossing the street late Thursday evening. In a report from the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, the incident occurred at approximately 9:13 p.m. at the intersection of Vineyard Avenue and Church Street.
Omar Ahmed, a 19-year-old resident of Rancho Cucamonga, was identified as the driver. According to the preliminary investigation, as Ahmed was driving north on Vineyard Avenue, his vehicle collided with Patti Burns, 80, who was crossing the roadway. Local deputies arrived quickly on the scene to administer lifesaving measures, eventually succeeded by personnel from American Medical Response (AMR) and Rancho Cucamonga Fire District. Despite their efforts, Burns was pronounced dead at the site of the collision.
Deputies A. Villalobos and A. Smith, part of the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team, took over the case to determine the cause of the crash. The initial reports indicate that intoxication did not appear to be a contributing factor. The full cause is still under active investigation, as per the official announcement.
In response to this fatal event, authorities are calling on the public to come forward with any pertinent information. Those with knowledge of the incident are encouraged to contact the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department at (909) 477-2800. For those preferring anonymity, they may reach out to the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463), or leave information on the We-Tip website. Patti Burns’s unexpected death serves as a tragic reminder of the unpredictability present, even in our daily traverses across the asphalt ribbons that carve through our neighborhoods.
