This article was posted at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008.
A 21-year-old local woman died early Monday morning after being struck by the car of a 23-year-old Cal Poly student.
According to the police report, Tayna Maree Moore was lying in the roadway at the intersection of Santa Rosa Street and Foothill Boulevard wearing dark clothing when she was struck by Frederick Gonzalez’s vehicle.
When police responded to the 911 call, they found Gonzalez at the scene with the injured woman, who was struggling to breathe. She was transported to Sierra Vista Medical Hospital for severe lower body trauma, where she died about two hours later.
Gonzalez reportedly tried to avoid hitting the woman after noticing her in the roadway by swerving, but was unable to do so. Police do not believe the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and report that he cooperated fully with their investigation. He has not been cited or arrested, and was reportedly very distraught about the incident.
Police are still investigating why Moore was lying in the roadway concealed in dark clothing. Cal Poly and Cuesta officials confirmed that she is not a student at either school, and police believe her to be a local woman who most recently resided in Morro Bay.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff-Coroner will conduct an autopsy. Police have declined to give out further information regarding the ongoing investigation at this time.