Woman killed after she was struck by two cars near McDonald’s in Fresno is identified

A Fresno woman who was trying to get food for her son at McDonald’s was struck and killed Saturday night after trying to cross the city’s busiest street.

It happened around 8:30 p.m. just west of the intersection of Cedar and Shaw avenues.

The Fresno County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday identified the victim as Laura Bryant, 56.

Bryant was jaywalking across Shaw in a southward direction when a driver traveling eastbound hit her in the far right lane, according to Fresno police Lt. Bill Dooley.

That collision sent Bryant into the middle lane, where a second vehicle struck her.

Her husband, who was walking behind his wife, watched the fatality unfold just a few feet back.

“This is an absolute tragic event,” Dooley said. “It does showcase the importance of not running in the middle of the street, on a busy night, in the dark.

“There’s dangers associated with that.”

Dooley said Bryant had died when officers and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after the collision.

He added Bryant was wearing dark clothing and that the first driver didn’t see her attempting to cross the street until it was too late.

That driver stayed at the scene, was cooperative and not intoxicated, Dooley said.

The driver of the second vehicle that struck the woman left the scene immediately after the collision. Police are working on getting a description of the vehicle. A large chunk of the car was left on the street.

The incident, which occurred just a block from the Fresno State campus, prompted closure of eastbound Shaw Avenue as investigators worked the scene.

This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 10:26 PM.