Driver sought in crash that killed Sanger-area man

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- What started off as a family celebration turned into a tragedy. A Sanger-area man was killed walking home from a quinceanera. Now, the family and the California Highway Patrol are asking for the public's help in tracking down the driver who hit him.

The busy stretch of road at Academy Avenue and Ashcroft Road near Sanger is where Alfego Lamas Perez took his last breath. The 44-year-old husband and father of three was on his way home from the Sanger Community Center where he had attended a quinceanera -- a huge celebration for 15-year-old girls.

Perez decided to walk home. It was pitch black; there are no lights along Academy Avenue. Close to 11 p.m. Saturday, his son, 19-year-old Edgar Lamas, got a call.

"He had just told me he was lost and scared, and he wanted us to pick him up, but we didn't know where he was at. That was the last time I spoke to him. The last words," said Lamas.

Lamas says his dad often walked home from family events. But when his father never showed up Sunday morning, he became worried. A driver found his father's body six and a half miles from the Sanger Community Center Sunday afternoon.

"There is a likelihood that this pedestrian was in the roadway and was struck by a motor vehicle. Now, if the driver of the motor vehicle would have stopped, there would have been no fault there," said CHP Sgt. Mike Trenholm.

Trenholm says they are looking for the driver who hit Perez. Whoever it is, is facing felony hit-and-run charges for not stopping.

"It's a horrible thing not knowing how it happened or why it happened. We're going to get through it. It's tough, but I got my family," said Lamas.

Though there is no specific description of the vehicle that hit Perez, investigators believe somebody must have seen something.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral expenses. If you would like to make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/uy3myxya.