Driver suspected in hit-and-run death of Clovis administrator arrested. He has no license

The driver suspected of killing a popular Clovis Unified administrator was arrested Friday by the California Highway Patrol.

Rogelio Alvarez, 18, is in custody after turning himself in for the hit-and-run crash that took the life of Gavin Gladding, 43.

Alvarez could face charges for felony vehicular manslaughter, felony hit and run and driving without a California driver’s license, CHP officials said at a late Friday news conference outside their division headquarters in central Fresno.

Alvarez was driving a 2006 midnight blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a passenger when the fatal incident occurred around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to CHP.

It happened on the shoulder area of Friant Road, west of Willow Avenue.

Gladding was running to train for a marathon when he was struck by the truck, which had swerved off the road.

The pickup was traveling west on Friant Road, west of Willow.

An anonymous tipster provided the location of Alvarez’s vehicle, which was parked at his parent’s house in the area of Floral and Cedar avenues. The truck is owned by Alvarez’s father.

A Crime Stoppers reward fund had grown to more than $23,000 by Friday. It wasn’t immediately known if the tipster is eligible for a reward.

CHP officials said the truck had damage “consistent with the traffic collision that we’re investigating.”

CHP officials could not confirm if Alvarez was intoxicated at the time of the accident, but added drugs and alcohol were not found in the vehicle.

Alvarez had a passenger in the truck — a woman — but CHP did not disclose how the two were related. Her involvement is being investigated.

Alvarez graduated from Washington Union High School this year, and played golf and soccer with the school, according to Bee sports archives.

“We are hoping this arrest will bring some closure to the Gladding family during this trying time,” said Jesse Olguin, assistant chief with CHP Central Division.

The investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 9:50 PM.