Fresno City bus driver hits and kills pedestrian, police chief says

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It happened just after 6 a.m. Friday morning.

The victim, identified as 62-year-old Javier Garcia Silva was walking south across Shields when a bus, northbound on Fruit turned. The man was hit, run over and was dead at the scene but the bus driver did not stop and continued on his route.

The report of a body in the street had police there within two minutes. It took about an hour for them to figure out what happened, thanks to surveillance video from a nearby business.

The video shows the victim waiting for the green light, then crossing Shields. As the man is crossing a Fresno Area Express bus heading north on Fruit turns left onto Shields which just keeps going.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said, "No indication the bus driver saw the pedestrian at any time. "

Despite that, the driver, identified as 69-year-old Rudy Alderedde was arrested and charged with felony hit and run.

"Anytime you have a vehicle collision where there is a person that dies and the driver is at fault in this case that becomes a crime it is vehicular manslaughter," Chief Dyer explains.

Alderedde told officers he thought he hit a box, not a person. That is why he simply continued his route but the city's transportation director says he should not have kept going.

"Our drivers are trained in any accident that they should stop, remain at the scene," Jim Schaad said.

Police say there were no obvious signs of intoxication but blood alcohol tests have been taken.

The victim was 62-year-old Javier Garcia Silva and police say he used to live in the area and are notifying family members. The driver has been with the City for 18 years and is being booked into the Fresno County Jail.