UPDATE: King City man wanted for wrong-way crash found dead

UPDATED 7/18/2019 8:30 p.m. The body of a man found Thursday morning in the Salinas River Bed in Paso Robles, has been identified as a wanted hit-and-run suspect.

40-year-old Pedro Alvarado-Torres, of King City was found around 8:30 a.m. by a citizen who was metal detecting.

Paso Robles police officers along with the Fire Department were dispatched to the area. About thirty minutes later, the California Highway Patrol was called, because responding authorities had suspected that the deceased was a possible hit-and-run suspect that fled from a head-on collision that happened early Monday morning, on Highway 101, just south of Niblick road.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff has confirmed the identity of the deceased as Torres. They are now investigating the cause of death.

The investigation to the hit-and-run is also still under investigation.

PREVIOUS STORY: The California Highway Patrol is looking for a King City man wanted for a wrong-way crash.

According to CHP, the first crash happened just before 2 a.m. Monday, July 15th on Highway 101 in Templeton.

After driving the wrong way, officers said 40-year-old Pedro Alvarado-Torres’ vehicle collided with another vehicle in the northbound lanes.

Both vehicles came to a stop in the center median just south of Spring Street off-ramp.

Alvarado-Torres then took off. The other driver sustained moderate injuries.

The CHP said shortly after this crash, a man and a woman in separate vehicles stopped at the scene to help. While they were standing outside of their vehicles, they were hit by a van.

The woman, identified as Monica Cantu later died at the hospital.

The man, Raul Gomez, was taken to the hospital with major injuries.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Pedro Alvarado-Torres is asked to contact the Templeton CHP Office at (805) 434-1822.