SAIPAN — A 75-year-old man died Monday after he was struck by a silver SUV at the former Sunny Side Cafe along Chalan Martinez Road in Koblerville, where he and the driver had stopped to obtain water, the Department of Public Safety said.
DPS 911 dispatched officers to the auto-pedestrian incident at approximately 11:35 a.m. Responding officers found the victim lying unconscious near the former establishment with visible injuries. Medics from the Division of Fire and Emergency Medical Services rendered aid at the scene.
The victim was transported to Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, where he was pronounced deceased by the attending physician.
According to the DPS preliminary investigation, the victim and a 56-year-old male operator had stopped at the location to obtain water. While the victim was still outside the vehicle behind the truck, the operator allegedly entered the silver SUV and used a stick to engage the gear lock mechanism. The vehicle was shifted into reverse and struck the victim, the department said.
The DPS Traffic Investigation Unit was called to the scene. The operator voluntarily submitted to a Portable Breath Test, which registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04, the department said. The vehicle was impounded as part of the investigation.
The case remains under active investigation, the department said. No charges or names have been released.
