Driver arrested after running over man lying in street in front of hospital

Police arrested the driver of an SUV after an unusual hit-and-run homicide early Thursday in front of Saint Agnes Medical Center in northeast Fresno.

Lt. Joe Gomez said the driver faces charges of manslaughter.

The incident began when a person in the hospital was escorted to a bus bench by hospital security just before 1 a.m. following some type of disturbance. The victim walked about 75 yards east of the bench and lay in the street on the frontage road that parallels Herndon Avenue.

The driver of the SUV, who was also leaving the hospital, pulled out from a stop sign at the frontage road and ran over the victim.

Gomez said the SUV driver returned, looked at the victim and drove back into the Saint Agnes parking lot. Gomez said “very good ” security video captured the incident, helping identify the 37-year-old driver and the vehicle.

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office identified the victim Thursday afternoon as Richard Morelion, 40, of Fresno.

This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Driver arrested after running over man lying in street in front of hospital."