A Sacramento man who vanished last Saturday morning was found that night in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle, authorities said. The pedestrian, identified by police as 61-year-old David Zoellner, was transported by emergency crews to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition. Sacramento police said the driver involved stayed at the scene and that alcohol is not suspected.
Hours before the crash, the Sacramento Police Department had issued a missing-person alert for Zoellner, saying he was last seen around 8 a.m. in the 3000 block of Marysville Boulevard and was considered at-risk because of mental health and medical conditions, as reported by Hoodline. The department shared clothing details and urged anyone with information to reach out.
Found Near Rio Linda Boulevard
Later that night, around 9:30 p.m., Sacramento police responded to a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle in the area of Rio Linda Boulevard and Ford Road and eventually identified the victim as Zoellner, according to KCRA. Officials told the station that Zoellner was taken to a local hospital and, as of yesterday evening, remained in critical but stable condition. Investigators said the driver stayed at the scene and that driving under the influence does not appear to be a factor.
Why Night Crashes Are More Dangerous
Serious pedestrian crashes are far more common in cities and tend to spike after dark. Data from UC Berkeley’s traffic safety center show that 75% of pedestrian fatalities in 2023 occurred during evening and nighttime hours, a pattern that mirrors this case. County-level figures from SafeTREC also list Sacramento among California counties with higher numbers of serious pedestrian injuries.
