Modesto, CA — Rodney Abel, 58, lost his life after being struck by a car while crossing the road with a non-motorized scooter on the night of Friday, October 9, 2026, according to ABC10, with additional reporting from The Modesto Bee.
The California Highway Patrol first received reports of the fatal accident at 8:35 PM, directing them to the crash site where Boulder Avenue T-intersects with East Hatch Road, a major thoroughfare connecting residential neighborhoods with Modesto businesses.
According to investigators, Abel was crossing Hatch Road from north to south. Although there is a crosswalk available at that intersection, it is unclear whether Abel was using it when a black 2002 Honda sedan driven by Zaki Itehad, 49, of Modesto struck Abel.
The Honda had been traveling westbound on Hatch Road at a speed of approximately 35 miles per hour. Although Boulder Avenue has a stop sign at that intersection, traffic on Hatch Road is uncontrolled.
The impact threw Abel from his scooter. Investigators noted that Abel had not been wearing a helmet at the time, although California law does not require helmets to be worn by adults riding non-motorized scooters. Itehad did not sustain any injuries from the crash.
While investigations were proceeding, CHP officers closed the roadway at the Hatch/Boulder intersection for approximately one hour. Neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to have contributed to this fatal accident.
Initial reports stated that Abel had received major injuries. On October 15, ABC10 reported that Abel had lost his life and shared a plea from his daughter, Brandy Abel Figueroa, to improve the conditions of the crosswalk.
CHP states that Abel was riding the scooter as he crossed. However, Figueroa told ABC10 that her father was pushing the scooter and had just entered the crosswalk when the collision took place, and that he was found about 22 feet past the crosswalk, where the scooter remained.
Abel’s family requests that anyone who may have video evidence of the fatal collision, particularly dashcam footage, please come forward to aid in this ongoing investigation.
Fatal Scooter Rider Accidents in Modesto and Wrongful Death Claims
California law operates under the principle of comparative negligence, which holds that liability can be shared among multiple parties, meaning fault is not an all-or-nothing proposition. The driver does not have to receive criminal charges for Abel’s family to seek compensation, and even if there is found to be negligence on Abel’s own part, that does not stop his family from being able to pursue a wrongful death claim.
A wrongful death claim can compensate a grieving family for damages such as funeral expenses and the loss of support and companionship provided by the deceased. However, if there were found to be negligence on Abel’s part as well, any settlement may be reduced proportionally.
Modesto Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you or someone you love has been affected by an accident like the one described here at Hatch Road and Boulder Avenue, a Modesto wrongful death lawyer would be happy to answer any questions and provide a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation.
