A postal worker who was doing his rounds of delivering mail was struck and killed by an SUV Monday in Santa Rosa, according to police.
Just after 5 p.m., first responders arrived at the intersection of Northpoint Parkway and Corrigan Street for a major collision involving a U.S. Postal Service vehicle and a GMC Denali SUV.
According to police, the SUV ended up in the front yard of a residence on Corrigan Street and the postal vehicle was in the middle of Northpoint Parkway, near the dead end.
Multiple 911 calls reported that there was a man lying in the roadway, and he appeared to be deceased. Callers indicated that man was the driver of the postal vehicle and that the driver of the SUV was conscious and appeared to be having a medical emergency.
Officers found the postal worker in the roadway and he was pronounced deceased immediately, the police department said. The driver of the SUV was transported to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries.
Investigators believe that the driver of the SUV was driving erratically prior to the collision and struck the postal vehicle and driver as he was standing outside the vehicle, sorting mail.
A preliminary investigation showed that the driver of the SUV suffered a medical emergency that caused him to lose control of his car prior to the collision.
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The postal worker has been identified as Irvin Hernandez, a 33-year-old resident of Santa Rosa.
USPS released the following statement on Tuesday:
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"The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of our postal family member, Irvin Hernandez, our Santa Rosa Letter Carrier who served the community for 8 years. Irvin was not only a hard worker; he had an infectious smile and radiant personality that brought joy to all who had the pleasure to know and work alongside him. Our sincerest condolences and thoughts go out to his family, friends, and co-workers."
The roadway was closed for several hours during the investigation.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Officer John Fisher at (707) 543-3600 ext. 8550.