By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder
Accident: Man is 3rd pedestrian hit by vehicles in 2007.

Porterville police are looking for a driver who left a man for dead Tuesday night on South Indiana Street after he struck him with his vehicle and drove away.

The pedestrian, who police identified as Roberto Andrade, 26, of Porterville, suffered major injuries and was in critical condition Wednesday at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.

Police report Andrade was apparently walking northbound on Indiana south of Olive Avenue when the driver, who was southbound, struck him and left the scene. Officers arrived at 8:55 p.m. to find Andrade in the roadway suffering from injuries to his head and legs. He was taken by ambulance to Sierra View District Hospital.

Upon arrival at Sierra View, Andrade was airlifted to Fresno, Sierra View spokesman Tim Lewis said. A Community Medical spokeswoman said Andrade was in critical condition at the time of publication, the same condition he was listed in when he arrived at Sierra View.

This marks the third incident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on Porterville city streets this year. The most recent incident, in which an 83-year-old man died when a 26-year-old driver allegedly struck him at the intersection of Jaye Street and Center Avenue, is still under investigation by police.

In January, 65-year-old Conrado Agda of Porterville was driving a sports utility vehicle when he reportedly struck and killed 46-year-old Graciela Morales of Woodville at the intersection of Jaye and Putnam Avenue. The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office is considering filing criminal charges against Agda, police said.

Contact Aaron Burgin at 784-5000, Ext. 1046, or aburgin@portervillerecorder.com.