On February 9, 2025, at approximately 10:22 p.m., the Santa Ana Police Department received multiple calls regarding a traffic collision near the area of 2100 block of West 17th Street, near Ferrellgas Propane.
Officers, along with Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), responded to the scene where they discovered that the collision involved a pedestrian and a vehicle.
The pedestrian, identified as Carmelo Salazar Garcia (49) of Santa Ana, was treated at the scene before being transported to a local hospital by OCFA. Despite life-saving efforts, Carmelo succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Based on the preliminary investigation, Carmelo appeared to be walking southbound through 17th St. when he was struck by a vehicle traveling westbound. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian was a white Nissan SUV.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, cooperated with the investigation, and did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Santa Ana Police Department’s Collision Investigations Unit (CIU) is investigating this incident. Anyone with information about this collision is asked to contact Detective J. Martinez at (714) 245-8207 or the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division at (714) 245-8200.
most people speed not because they want to break the law, but because streets are designed in a way that encourages it.