Vallejo, CA – In the early morning hours of Friday, May 23, 2025, a 37-year-old Sacramento woman was fatally struck by a big rig while walking in the lanes of eastbound Highway 37, west of Highway 29, according to Bay City News, with additional reporting from CHP Fatal.
The California Highway Patrol reports that the collision occurred at approximately 3:20 AM. The woman, whose identity has not yet been publicly released pending notification of next of kin, was walking in the traffic lanes when she was hit by a commercial truck. The driver of the big rig, a 54-year-old man from San Pablo, remained at the scene and was cooperative with authorities. He was not injured in the incident.
CHP officials stated that drugs or alcohol do not appear to have played a role in the crash, and no criminal charges are expected against the driver.
In the immediate aftermath of the collision, emergency responders initiated a hard closure of the highway. Traffic was temporarily diverted through the center divide while crews cleared the scene. Debris was reported scattered across multiple lanes, and the coroner was called to respond around 3:40 AM.
A SIGALERT was issued just before 5:00 AM, notifying motorists that all eastbound lanes of Highway 37 near the SR-29 interchange were closed and advising drivers to use alternate routes. CHP confirmed the roadway was fully reopened at approximately 6:03 AM.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the collision to contact the California Highway Patrol’s Solano Area office.
Wrongful Death Claims
Even if a fatal accident doesn’t lead to criminal charges, families who lose a loved one can still file a Wrongful Death claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance. This can provide support to help cover medical bills, funeral expenses, and the loss of income.
Partial Liability in Pedestrian Accidents
California Law does not consider pedestrians to have the right-of-way under all circumstances, such as if they attempt to cross outside of a crosswalk. However, motorists are never relieved of the expectation to provide pedestrians with a Duty of Care toward their safety.
It may therefore be determined that a motorist is subject to only partial liability in a pedestrian accident. Should that be the case, they would be financially responsible for the victim’s recovery costs in proportion to their degree of liability.
