Investigators walked the scene of a fatal traffic collision Thursday afternoon, two days after a pedestrian was hit and killed by a vehicle in Old Town Goleta.
Investigators walked the scene of a fatal traffic collision Thursday afternoon, two days after a pedestrian was hit and killed by a vehicle in Old Town Goleta. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

A Goleta resident walking in Old Town Goleta died after being hit by a vehicle Christmas Eve, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Two pedestrians were crossing the intersection of Hollister Avenue and Magnolia Drive around 7 p.m. Tuesday when they were struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph, sheriff’s Sgt. Noel Rivas said.

The driver failed to see the pedestrians, who were not in a marked crosswalk, and remained on scene after the collision, according to Rivas, Goleta’s traffic supervisor.

One of the pedestrians, Ricardo Hernandez, 76, had significant injuries, and was unconscious and unresponsive at the scene, Rivas said.

He and the other pedestrian were transported to the hospital, where Hernandez succumbed to his injuries at 10:49 p.m. His next of kin was at the hospital at the time of his death, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Rivas said that investigators don’t believe that drugs and alcohol were a factor in the collision and no arrests have been made as of Thursday. The driver has cooperated with investigators, he said.

A Goleta man was hit by a vehicle in the area of Hollister Avenue and Magnolia Avenue Tuesday night and later died of his injuries, according to the Sheriff's Office.
A Goleta man was hit by a vehicle in the area of Hollister Avenue and Magnolia Avenue Tuesday night and died of his injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

The name of the driver and the other person injured in the collision were not available as of Thursday afternoon.

The city of Goleta contracts with the Sheriff’s Office for police services, including traffic investigations.

The Sheriff’s Major Accident Response Team asks anyone with information about the collision to contact Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer at 805.961.7514.

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com.