A 77-year-old Sacramento man was struck and killed by a vehicle early Friday on Florin Road in south Sacramento, authorities say. The crash happened in the eastbound lanes near Florin-Perkins Road during the pre-dawn hours, on a stretch that is busy by day and notoriously unforgiving for people on foot. Emergency responders pronounced the man dead at the scene.
According to The Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as Johnny Lee Clay, 77, of Sacramento. The paper reports the collision was called in at about 2:35 a.m. on eastbound Florin Road just west of Florin-Perkins Road.
What investigators say
CHP South Sacramento officials told KCRA that Clay was in the eastbound travel lane when he was struck, and investigators could not immediately determine whether he was trying to cross the roadway. The driver told officers it was still dark and that they did not see the pedestrian before the impact. According to CHP, the driver pulled over, called 911, stayed at the scene while investigators worked, and alcohol and drugs were not believed to be factors.
A worsening pedestrian toll
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office and local reporting say the Florin-Perkins stretch was one of two pedestrian deaths reported that day. Sacramento County has recorded nearly 80 traffic deaths so far this year, more than 25 of them pedestrians, according to The Sacramento Bee. It is the kind of grim tally that has residents and planners again questioning how safe the county’s major corridors really are for anyone not behind the wheel.
Planned repairs on Florin-Perkins
City documents list a Florin-Perkins Road rehabilitation project in early scoping that would look at pavement maintenance and potential pedestrian improvements. The project has received SB1 funding, according to the City of Sacramento. The page shows the work is still in preliminary stages and that specific construction timelines and designs are not yet finalized.
CHP South Sacramento is investigating the fatal collision and has not released additional findings. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, who are still working to determine how the crash unfolded, KCRA reports.
