Coroner IDs pedestrian killed Thanksgiving morning while walking on Newport Boulevard

A pedestrian killed early Thanksgiving morning while walking on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa has been identified as Jose Armando Estazuy-Racancoj, officials with the Orange County coroner’s office reported Monday.

Estazuy-Racancoj, 24, of Costa Mesa, was reportedly walking among lanes of traffic shortly before 2:30 a.m. Thursday when he was struck by a vehicle traveling northbound on Newport Boulevard just south of 17th Street, according to a release issued Thursday by the Costa Mesa Police Department.

First responders found Estazuy-Racancoj unresponsive and attempted to perform CPR but were unable to resuscitate him and pronounced him dead, the release stated.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with members of CMPD’s Major Accident Investigation Team as well as crime scene investigators called to the incident.

The driver was determined not to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the release indicated, and no arrests were made. A SigAlert was issued, and street closures were initiated with assistance from the Newport Beach Police Department until all lanes were reopened at 7:15 a.m.

Kelly Estrada, supervising deputy coroner, said an official cause of death had not yet been released, pending completion of an autopsy. It was unclear as of Monday whether the coroner’s office would also perform a toxicology report.

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