Ceres Police are hoping the public can help lead them to the hit-and-run driver of a tractor-trailer rig who fatally struck a pedestrian in the 1400 block of Hatch Road early Thursday morning.

The crash, which killed the 44-year-old Michael Tucker, was reported at approximately 3:10 a.m. Police found the victim in an eastbound lane with major injuries and rendered life-saving measures in vain until firefighters and paramedics took over. The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene.

Tucker had reportedly reconnected with his family after struggling with drug abuse and mental health issues. His brother, Donald Tucker, told an ABC-TV affiliate that Michael seemed to be turning his life around when the crash took his life last week. 

Ceres Police’s Traffic Unit Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) began investigating and identified the vehicle that struck the man as a tractor-trailer believed to be red in color with a gray or silver box trailer. According to witnesses, the driver initially stopped after hitting the man, got out of the cab to check on him and jumped back in and left the scene headed eastbound on Hatch Road.

Any witnesses to the collision are urged to contact Officer Aaron Pinon at (209) 538-5678 or by email at aaron.pinon@ci.ceres.ca.us.

Tucker’s daughter, Cynthia Isabel wrote this of her father’s untimely death: “My dad was a beautiful soul. He struggled all his life, and he has been bettering himself for over a year now. We were just starting to get to know each other, we were just starting to build a relationship with one another, and the person who did this took that away from us. When my mom would tell me about him, she would always say how funny, fun, and full of life he was. That is the person my dad was, apart from his struggles throughout life. My dad’s passing is just 6 days prior to the 2 year anniversary of my brother’s passing, and to know he went in such a traumatic way; it’s more than one family should have to endure. To the person who did this, I hope you hear this. I hope you find it in your heart to turn yourself in and bring peace to this family, especially since you couldn’t find it in your heart to help him in those moments.”