UPDATE (7:43 p.m.) – The California Highway Patrol says a man found dead Thursday in the Salinas Riverbed in Paso Robles was the same man who was wanted for a hit-and-run crash earlier this week.
Police say a man who was using a metal detector in the area discovered the body of Pedro Alvarado-Torres at about 8:30 a.m. in an area of dense brush.
The crash happened at about 2 a.m. on Monday.
The CHP says Alvarado-Torres, 40, of King City ran off after driving the wrong way on Highway 101 and crashing head-on into another vehicle near Niblick Rd.
The driver of that vehicle, a 62-year-old woman from Atascadero, reportedly suffered internal injuries in the crash and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A Good Samaritan who stopped to help was killed when she was hit by a van that apparently lost control after hitting debris left behind by the initial crash. The CHP says Monica Cantu, 55, of Paso Robles died after being taken to the hospital.
A second person who stopped to help suffered major injuries.
The San Luis Obispo County Coroner’s Office is investigating Alvarado-Torres’ cause of death and the CHP says its investigation into the hit-and-run crash continues.
UPDATE (1:05 p.m.) – The area where a man’s body was discovered in Paso Robles Thursday morning is described as dense with brush, according to Paso Robles Police Commander Caleb Davis.
“Where the body was located would’ve been very difficult to see, you couldn’t see it from the air,” Davis told KSBY News.
The man did not appear to have any injuries that would suggest foul play, according to Davis, and he was not badly decomposed, indicating he died recently.
Davis said the man did not have any belongings or camping materials near him that would lead authorities to believe he is a transient.
The California Highway Patrol is waiting on the coroner’s report to determine if the man is connected to the wrong-way crash on Highway 101 at the Spring Street exit earlier this week. That scene is very close to where the man’s body was found, according to Davis.
The investigation is ongoing.
UPDATE (12:20 p.m.): Paso Robles police say they do not consider the death of a person whose body was found in the Salinas Riverbed Thursday morning to be suspicious. Police say the body is that of a male.
A man walking in the area using a metal detector discovered the body around 8:45 a.m. in the riverbed east of Highway 101, police say. Neighbors in the area tell KSBY News the scene was cleared by 11 a.m.
The area is not too far from where a King City man reportedlycrashed into a vehicle early Monday morning after driving the wrong way on Highway 101. CHP says the man took off after the crash and has not been found.
Police say they are waiting for identification from the sheriff’s office to determine who the man is and if he is “related to the collision.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.
ORIGINAL STORY (11:09 a.m.): A body was found in the Salinas Riverbed near Oak Lane in Paso Robles Thursday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Paso Robles police said their department is in charge of the investigation. CHP said it was called to the area this morning to help with investigation efforts.
At this time, authorities said it is unknown what time the person’s body was originally found and what the cause of death might be.
A CHP helicopter was requested at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to help with the investigation.
This is a developing story, stick with KSBY News for updates.
