FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A DUI arrest early Wednesday led California Highway Patrol investigators to the body of a woman along a rural Fresno County road after a driver admitted he hit a pedestrian and did not stop.
Officers responded to a residence in Easton around 4 a.m. after a report of a traffic crash.
During the initial investigation, the man told officers he had hit a parked vehicle several hours earlier.
After examining his Hyundai, they determined the vehicle’s damage did not match the driver’s account.
During questioning, the driver admitted he had struck a pedestrian and left the scene.
The driver, Sunil Sunil of Fresno, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
No pedestrian accident had been reported, so CHP personnel began searching possible routes Sunil may have driven.
At about 5 a.m., a CHP sergeant found a woman’s body on the shoulder of Elm Avenue, south of American Avenue.
Debris from the vehicle was also located.
CHP said the driver was taken to Community Regional Medical Center for medical clearance before being booked into the Fresno County Jail.
His bail is set at $450,000.
The investigation remains active.
Anyone who witnessed the collision, saw the Hyundai in the area, or has information is asked to contact the CHP Fresno Area at (559) 262-0400.