A man who ran out on his bill at a Tower District restaurant was struck by a hit-and-run driver moments later, according to Fresno police. The collision happened on Wishon Avenue after the man bolted from Indian's Oven on Olive Avenue near Fulton Street without paying for his meal, and the driver who hit him fled the scene without stopping.
According to ABC30 Fresno, restaurant security staff chased the man after he tried to leave without paying, and he ran into Olive Avenue before being struck by an eastbound vehicle. Fresno Police Lieutenant James Rosetti said the man attempted to leave, was chased by security, ran into the roadway, and was hit by a vehicle that then fled the scene, per the station's report. Police identified the striking vehicle as a white Toyota Tacoma traveling eastbound at the time of the collision.
The man was taken to Community Regional Medical Center following the crash, though his current condition remains unknown, the outlet reported. Fresno police said they are investigating the possibility that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the collision. Olive Avenue was expected to remain closed for the next couple of hours as officers worked the scene, and police have asked anyone with information about the case to come forward.
Two Separate Crimes, One Chaotic Scene
The incident effectively involves two distinct legal violations under California law. Skipping out on a restaurant bill is prosecuted as defrauding an innkeeper under California Penal Code Section 537, a misdemeanor when the unpaid amount is $950 or less, carrying penalties of up to six months in county jail and fines up to $1,000, according to FindLaw. Theft exceeding that amount can be charged as a felony.
The driver who struck the man and left without stopping faces a far more serious potential charge. Under California Vehicle Code Section 20001, penalties for leaving an injury crash vary: the provision allows up to four years in state prison only when the accident results in death or permanent, serious injury; other injury crashes are covered by a different penalty provision, according to Justia. That obligation to stop and render aid applies even though the pedestrian had reportedly just fled a restaurant and run into traffic.
A Corridor With a Troubled Safety History
This is not the first pedestrian crash to strike the same stretch of Olive Avenue recently. Less than three weeks before this collision, another pedestrian was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle along Olive Avenue near Palm Avenue in the Tower District, according to Arash Law.
The City of Fresno has a draft Tower District Specific Plan for the neighborhood. The broader metro area's pedestrian safety problem has drawn national attention as well: Smart Growth America's 2024 Dangerous By Design report ranked the Fresno metro area 7th most dangerous in the country for pedestrians, tallying 196 pedestrian deaths across Fresno County between 2018 and 2022, as reported by Fresnoland. California's Office of Traffic Safety also publishes city-level rankings related to pedestrian safety.
In response to those numbers, Fresno secured a $400,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant in 2023, paired with $100,000 in municipal funds, to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan aimed at eliminating traffic-related pedestrian deaths and serious injuries citywide.
The Restaurant Behind the Chase
Indian's Oven's Tower District location is at 1153 N. Fulton Street.
Community advocates have raised concerns about the resources available to investigate hit-and-run cases.
This latest crash follows other recent hit-and-run cases Hoodline has covered in the region, including a DUI hit-and-run with injured kids on SR-180 earlier this month. Fresno police continue to seek information from anyone with knowledge of the Wishon Avenue crash as the investigation continues.
