72-Year-old man hit and killed by car in Central Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Neighbors say a routine morning walk to a shopping center off Ashlan and Cedar happened almost daily for a 72-year-old man they knew as Tony in their complex.

"Every day he would come over and say hi he would also go to another neighbor's house and hang out over there, he's just very sweet he's nice," said neighbor Jennay Vega.

Neighbors say he had visited some of the businesses across the street from his apartment to get his morning coffee and newspaper. Shock set on Thursday morning when his neighbors walked outside of their apartment to see police officers surrounding the street.

"It was shock at first. It was disbelief. I really didn't want to believe it was him, my neighbor was knocking on the door. I knocked on the door just it was more shock. I really didn't want it to be him I really didn't want it to," said Vega.

A coffee, newspaper, and shoes lying in the road. They found out the sweet elderly man they knew and loved was killed while crossing the street leaving the 76 Gas Station at about 6:30 a.m., just feet away from his front door.

Police officers say 37-year-old Randy Ouch is the man who hit him, drove away and left him there, but say he came back later after going home and switching cars.

Deciding to come back after leaving did not stop Ouch from getting arrested for a felony hit-and-run.

Officers later found the Honda Accord he was driving at the time with damage to the front of it.

Officers say the victim was not using a crosswalk but neighbors say that is normal for most people in their area.

"Even the crosswalk is dangerous to cross. I almost got hit crossing the crosswalk one day so it's nothing out of the normal for us just to cross the street real quick," said Vega.

Officers have been cracking down on pedestrian violations to help prevent these types of tragedies. In January the department issued almost 300 citations to pedestrians breaking the law, and to drivers putting their safety at risk.