One dead, one on the run after car crash in East Porterville

One man is dead and another fled on foot after a single vehicle accident Friday in East Porterville near John J. Doyle Elementary, which caused the school to go on lockdown and traffic to be rerouted.

At approximately 11:15 a.m. on Friday Alex Torrez, 33, was driving a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan westbound on Springville Avenue, just west of South W Street at an unknown speed.

For unknown reasons, Torrez allowed his vehicle to travel across the roadway and onto the dirt shoulder on the south side of the road. The Dodge continued westbound on the south shoulder and struck a chain link fence, continuing westbound. The chain link fence impaled the male passenger and the Dodge struck a power pole and overturned onto the driver’s side.

The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and Torrez fled the scene on foot westbound. Due to the suspect fleeing the scene westbound towards John J. Doyle Elementary School, the school was immediately put on lock down as a precaution. The school was in lock down roughly from 11:35 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

The passenger later succumbed to his injuries at Sierra View Medical Center. The crash left a property without a fence, damaged a water pipe and a light post.

Porterville Water was at the scene taking control of the water pipe that was flooding an area of the scene. Workers from Southern California Edison were also on scene, and mentioned they were going to eventually have to replace the power pole, (7-10 feet up the pole was where the damage was made).

“Our witnesses saw the runaway [Torrez] from behind, so they were not able to tell whether he had facial hair or not,” said Officer Michael Smith from the California Highway Patrol, adding they do not know in what condition Torrez was in when he fled the scene. “We are hoping that he does the right thing and he turns himself in.”

Eyewitness descriptions describe Torrez as a Hispanic male adult, 33 years of age, short dark hair wearing dark blue baggy shorts, and a dirty gray shirt.

It is unknown if alcohol or drugs are a factor in this collision.

If anyone has any information regarding the location of Torrez, please contact the Porterville Area CHP Office at (559) 784-7444.

RECORDER PHOTO BY CHIEKO HARA A CHP officer investigates a single-vehicle rollover collision on East Springville Avenue Friday, Sept. 7. The driver fled on scene and a passenger was taken to Sierra View Medical Center, where he later died. Due to the direction the suspect fled, John J. Doyle Elementary School was locked down for a short time as a precaution.