Pregnant woman, unborn baby killed by driver who thought he hit an animal, Fresno police say
A 19-year-old who was seven months pregnant, along with her unborn baby, were struck and killed in central Fresno on Sunday night by a hit-and-run driver who told authorities he thought he hit an animal, police said.
The pregnant woman, identified as Autumn Frank, was struck around 10:30 p.m. while trying to cross Marks Avenue at Swift Avenue in an unmarked crosswalk with family members, said Fresno police Sgt. Jeff La Blue.
She and her unborn child were taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, where they were both pronounced dead.
About 25 minutes after the woman was hit, Kenneth Carter, 32, called police and turned himself in for hit-and-run, “stating that he left the scene because he thought he had hit an animal in the roadway,” La Blue said.
La Blue said Carter was driving a rented red SUV “at a high rate of speed” when he struck the woman while she was in the No. 1 lane of northbound Marks Avenue. Carter then fled northbound.
Carter was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run, vehicular manslaughter, and driving on a suspended license. Police said he submitted to a blood test that showed no signs of intoxication. Carter was released Monday on $12,000 bail.
16th pedestrian fatality
The pregnant woman is the 16th pedestrian to be killed in a Fresno collision this year, La Blue said. Last year at this time, 11 pedestrians had been killed in Fresno.
La Blue said there have been a total of 34 fatalities in 32 collisions throughout the city in 2020, compared to 25 fatal collisions at this time last year.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 12:29 PM.
