Maria Morales Obituary, Death – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating a fatal crash that occurred early Tuesday morning just outside Salinas involving an ambulance and a pedestrian. The incident took place around 3:29 a.m. when a Ford Transit ambulance, which was white and red and operated by American Medical Response, collided with a female pedestrian on Abbott Street, south of Harris Road.
According to CHP, the ambulance was traveling southbound, driven by a 33-year-old man from Templeton, when, for reasons not yet determined, the female pedestrian suddenly stepped into the roadway in front of the vehicle. Despite efforts by the driver to avoid the pedestrian, the ambulance swerved, and the front right side of the vehicle struck her.
Tragically, the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene due to the severity of her injuries. The woman has been identified by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office as 41-year-old Maria Morales, a resident of Salinas.
The investigation is ongoing, with CHP working to determine the exact circumstances leading to the incident. The crash has left the community in mourning as authorities continue to gather details surrounding the collision.
