The early morning quiet of April 11, 2026, was shattered just after sunrise in Salinas. Around 6 a.m., a collision occurred near the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Mercer Way that would end a man’s life. Emergency dispatchers received reports of a vehicle striking a pedestrian, and officers from the Salinas Police Department were quickly dispatched to the scene.
When first responders arrived, they found a man lying in the roadway. He had sustained catastrophic injuries from the impact. Despite the best efforts of emergency medical personnel, the victim showed no signs of life. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was Andres Ortiz Jacinto. He was 39 years old.
The Salinas Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash. Officers cordoned off the area around Airport Boulevard and Mercer Way, a stretch of road that sees steady morning traffic, as they began documenting the scene. Evidence markers were placed, photographs were taken, and the vehicle involved was held for inspection.
Investigators have not yet determined how the crash occurred. It remains unclear whether Jacinto was crossing at a marked crosswalk, whether visibility or lighting were contributing factors, or what actions the driver took before impact. No information about the driver or the vehicle has been released to the public. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Jacinto’s death adds to a troubling reality in Salinas. The city has long struggled with pedestrian safety, and the California Office of Traffic Safety has designated Salinas as a high-priority community for pedestrian safety intervention. In 2025 alone, seven pedestrians lost their lives in vehicle collisions on Salinas streets.
The most recent pedestrian fatality before Jacinto’s death occurred near downtown, where a 63-year-old man in a wheelchair named Shawn Allen was struck and killed while crossing the street. Between 2019 and 2024, pedestrian crashes near Salinas school campuses alone ranged from 38 to 51 incidents annually, with fatalities occurring each year. These numbers reflect a broader crisis: between 2009 and 2023, pedestrian deaths nationwide rose a staggering 80%, while all other traffic fatalities increased only 13%.
In response to the persistent danger, the City of Salinas has taken steps to improve pedestrian safety. In 2025, Salinas received two grants totaling nearly $200,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety. One grant focuses on education and is run by the nonprofit Ecology Action; the other supports enforcement, including DUI checkpoints. Local youth have also become involved.
The Salinas Youth Council, chaired by 17-year-old Marisol Mederos, is working on education campaigns for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The council is preparing a series of videos targeting different age groups, as well as coloring books for young people, and plans to release a new social media video every couple of weeks. The goal is to teach safe crossing habits early, especially in a city where many residents rely on walking as their primary mode of transportation.
For Jacinto’s family, the loss is immeasurable. Friends and loved ones are now left to plan a funeral and to carry the weight of a sudden, violent loss. The community has offered condolences, but no words can fill the void left by a man taken too soon. The Salinas Police Department continues to document major incidents such as this one in its daily patrol logs, which track significant events within the city and provide ongoing updates to the public. Anyone with information about the collision has been urged to contact the Salinas Police Department.