A beloved member of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office did not survive the Fourth of July weekend after a K9 hit-and-run driver struck him on a Clovis roadway. K-9 Santi, a five-year-old Belgian Malinois who had served the department for four years, died from his injuries after fleeing in terror from illegal aerial fireworks and running into traffic.
The tragedy underscores two dangers that converge every summer in California: the widespread use of illegal fireworks and the failure of some drivers to stop after a collision. Both issues have real legal consequences, and both are preventable.
Santi’s death has struck a nerve well beyond the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, resonating with residents across the Central Valley who understand what a K-9 partnership represents. These dogs live with their handlers, train alongside them daily, and are treated as family members long before and long after their shifts end.
Santi’s four years of service reflect thousands of hours of training, trust, and shared risk between a deputy and his partner, making his loss feel less like the death of a police asset and more like the death of a colleague and companion. That context matters here: it explains why this case has drawn such swift public attention, and why identifying the driver who left him in the road matters just as much as it would in any collision involving a person.
What Happened Saturday Night
According to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. An off-duty deputy was at home with his K-9 partner, Santi, keeping him inside due to the disruption from fireworks being set off nearby.
When the deputy let Santi into the backyard to relieve himself, an illegal firework exploded nearby, startling the dog so badly that he leaped over the backyard fence and bolted.
The deputy immediately gave chase, shouting commands for Santi to stop and come back. But the continuing explosions overwhelmed the dog’s training, and he kept running faster than his handler could follow. The deputy eventually found Santi badly injured in the roadway near Shaw and Helm avenues in Clovis.
Santi was rushed to an emergency pet hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Investigators determined that a driver struck Santi and then fled the scene without stopping to render aid or report the collision.
California’s Hit-and-Run Laws
California law is unambiguous about a driver’s obligations after a collision, regardless of what or who is struck. Under Vehicle Code §20002, a driver involved in any accident resulting in property damage must stop and provide identifying information. Leaving the scene is a criminal offense, and penalties escalate significantly when the collision causes injury or death under Vehicle Code §20001.
Fleeing the scene doesn’t just violate the law, it also strips victims and their families of the chance to seek immediate accountability. When a driver stops, insurance information can be exchanged and fault can often be established quickly. When a driver flees, investigators are left piecing together evidence after the fact, and victims are left without answers.
The Added Layer: Harming a Police Service Animal
Santi wasn’t just a family pet. As a sworn K-9 with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, he was a working police service animal, and California law treats harm to these animals with particular seriousness.
Penal Code §600 makes it a crime to willfully and maliciously injure or kill a police animal engaged in the performance of its duties, and courts have recognized the significant public investment and training that goes into these partnerships.
While this collision has been described as a hit-and-run rather than an intentional act, the driver’s decision to flee after striking a marked or identifiable K-9 in a residential area may still carry consequences beyond a standard traffic violation, particularly once Clovis PD completes its investigation.
Underlying Negligence: California’s Illegal Fireworks Problem
This tragedy also highlights a recurring hazard across California every summer. Under Civil Code §1714, every person is responsible for injuries caused by their want of ordinary care.
Setting off illegal aerial fireworks in a residential neighborhood, especially fireworks capable of producing the kind of explosive noise that can send a trained police K-9 into a blind panic, is not a victimless act. It endangers pets, service animals, children, the elderly, and anyone with noise sensitivities, and it can directly cause the kind of chain reaction that unfolded in Clovis.
Local fire departments and law enforcement agencies across California consistently warn that illegal fireworks are a leading cause of both fires and injuries around Independence Day. This incident is a sobering reminder that the danger isn’t limited to burns or property damage.
Hit-and-Run Accident Settlement Calculators: How They Work
When a hit-and-run leaves someone injured, one of the first questions victims and families ask is how much their claim might be worth. Hit-and-run settlement calculators offer a starting point by estimating both economic and non-economic damages using two common methods: the multiplier method and the per diem method.
The multiplier method takes a victim’s total economic damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and future treatment costs, and multiplies that figure by a number typically between 1.5 and 5, depending on the severity of the injury, to account for pain and suffering. More catastrophic injuries, permanent disabilities, or wrongful death cases generally justify a higher multiplier.
The per diem method instead assigns a specific dollar value to each day the victim has suffered or is expected to suffer from their injuries, then multiplies that daily rate by the number of days affected. While no online calculator can account for every nuance of a case, including comparative fault, insurance policy limits, or the unique impact an injury has had on a person’s life, these tools help victims understand the general range of compensation they may be entitled to before speaking with an attorney.
In hit-and-run cases specifically, settlement value can also be affected by whether the driver is ever identified, whether uninsured motorist coverage applies, and whether California’s Victims of Crime program becomes a relevant source of recovery. An experienced attorney can take these estimates further, factoring in the specific evidence, medical documentation, and liability questions unique to your case. Call us now at +1-866-218-3776 to speak with the experts.
Take Action Today – Get the Help You Deserve
“Losing Santi the way this family did, watching him panic, chasing after him, and then finding him badly hurt with no one willing to stop and help, is a pain I don’t think most people can fully understand unless they’ve lived it. But I want anyone reading this who has been through a hit-and-run, whether it took a pet, a service animal, or a family member, to know that fleeing the scene doesn’t mean the driver gets away with it. California law gives victims real paths to accountability, and evidence like witness statements, traffic camera footage, and vehicle debris can often identify a driver even after they’ve fled. If you or someone you love has been hurt this way, don’t wait and don’t assume there’s nothing that can be done. Call us. We’ll help you figure out what your options are, and we’ll fight to get you the answers and the justice you deserve.”- Andy Gillin, GJEL Accident Attorneys
Hit-and-run collisions leave victims and families without the answers, information, or accountability they need to move forward. For more than 40 years, GJEL Accident Attorneys has helped Californians pursue justice after devastating collisions, recovering over $950 million for our clients along the way. We work on a strict contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a hit-and-run anywhere in California, call GJEL Accident Attorneys today at +1-866-218-3776 or visit our Walnut Creek office for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Local Resources for Clovis Residents
Clovis Police Department
1233 5th Street, Clovis, CA 93612
Phone: (559) 324-2800
Website: www.cityofclovis.com/police
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
2200 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: (559) 600-3111
Website: www.fresnosheriff.org
Clovis Community Medical Center
2755 Herndon Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611
Phone: (559) 324-4000
