A petty officer died last month after being struck by a vehicle near Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, authorities confirmed this week.
Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Michael D. Doherty, 42, was walking in the westbound lane of Jersey Avenue in the nearby town of Lemoore at about 1:30 a.m. on June 10 when he was struck by a 2013 Kia Soul, according to the Navy and California Highway Patrol.
Troopers conducted a sobriety evaluation on the vehicle’s driver, Ruben Baltazar, and booked him on suspicion of driving under the influence before an accident that caused a fatal injury, a CHP report indicated.
CHP spokesman Officer Robert Byrd said the investigation into the accident continues.
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An Arkansas native, Doherty enlisted in 2005 and pinned on first class in 2017, according to his service records.
He was stationed at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training in Pensacola, Florida, at the time of his death, but had served at another command on Lemoore earlier in his career.
Doherty’s survivors include his wife and three children, according to his obituary.
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